PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



TAKEN FEOM THE SOCIETY'S KECORDS. 



Annual Meeting. Mat 3, 1882. 



The President, Mr. S. H. Scudder, in the chair. Thirty per- 

 sons present. 



The following reports were presented : — 



Report op A. Hyatt, Curator. 



The experience of the past ten years has demonstrated the 

 futility of any attempt to impress the community with an ade- 

 quate sense of the public importance of the Museum without the 

 aid of illustrations sufficiently perfect in themselves to show 

 exactly what we intend to do. These must not only exhibit the 

 general interest of the information, which is to be made available ; 

 but also prove, that a Museum is capable of becoming an instru- 

 ment of public culture unequalled in the power of awakening intel- 

 ligent appreciation of the usefulness of its work in the minds of 

 those visiting its collections. 



It is possible to so arrange, and subsequently conduct a 

 Museum, that it will be as much more effectual in this way 

 than any art gallery, or library, as nature herself is greater and 



PROCEEDINGS B. 8. N. H. VOL. XXII. 1 SEPTEMBER, 1882. 



