94 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 
Dr. A. J. Howe, curator of Comparative Anatomy, A. E. Heighway, Jr., 
curator of Her peinlo ry, and Dr. D.S. Young, curator of Ichthyology, also 
submitted brief reports on the condition of the collections in a respective 
departments. 
The custodian, Mr. J. F. James, read his report for the year, as follows: 
““'The reports of the condition of the collections in the various departments 
of the Museum having been prepared by the curators in charge, the custodian 
has little to report on his own account. During the year just ended he has 
been busy taking care of the collections as a whole, and putting in their places: 
as far as possible, the additions as they have been received. 
“<The museum has been visited by many more strangers during the past year 
than the previous one, and on the book kept to register the names of visitors 
there are about 1,205 names recorded. ‘The schools have made good use of the 
collections also, and it is gratifying to state that the teachers of science in the 
public schools have shown interest enough in their pupils to come themselves 
with their classes and explain many things which otherwise would have been 
but little understood. This increasing use of the collections for study is an- 
other indication of the importance of the museum as an educationa) institution. 
‘“’The most important additions to the museum during the year have been 
the purchase of the collection of Dr. F. W. Langdon, con~isting of some 1,140 
specimens in the departments of Ornithology and J Mammalogy, and the pur- 
chase from Mr. C. G. Pringle of a collection of 930 species of plants, chiefly 
from the Pacific Coast of United States. A number of exchanges have been 
made, but these are referred to under the various departments. ‘The corre- 
spondence relative to the collections of the museum and the library has been 
attended to by the custodian, and 115 letters relating to these have been re- 
ceived and answered. 
‘* Some new exchanges in the library have been secured during the year, and 
these are as follows: American Naturalist; Royal Academy of Sciences, Stock- 
holm; Brooklyn Entomological Society ; Edinburgh Geological Society ; Lin- 
nean Society of New York; Nat. Hist. Society of Glasgow, Scotland; Papilio; 
Science Roll; and Torrey Botanical Club Bulletin. 
‘* On the 10th of May, 1882, the members of the Society gave a Microscopical 
Soiree in the building. Some 100 guests were present, and the evening was 
passed in examining objects placed under the 12 or 14 microscopes on the 
tables. The success of this, the first attempt of the kind. induced the mem- . 
bers to arrange for another reception. This was set for the 12th of February, 
but it was unavoidably postponed until the 23d of the same month. Invita- 
tions were issued, and between 100 and 125 responded. An address upon Mr. 
Darwin’s life and work was delivered by Prof. A. G. Wetherby, and 14 micro- 
scopes with objects were on exhibition. These receptions have been very 
beneficial to the Society, inasmuch as they have attracted the attention of the 
citizens to our institution, and have been the means of adding a number of new 
members to the roll. 
‘* Last October your custodian was sent to Paris, Kentucky, toinvestizate a 
mastodon which was reported to have been found there. The animal was 
found to be too much decayed to be preserved, but a number of fragments of 
bones were secured and have been placed in the collection. All of which is 
respectfully submitted. Jos. F. James, Custodian.’ 
The following persons were elected to serve as ofticers during the ensuing 
year 
President. J. H. Hunt, M.D.; First Vice President, Prof. J. Mickleborough ; 
Second Vice-President, Prof. Geo. W. Harper: Secretary, Davis L. James : 
