﻿Proceedings of the Society. 



81 



The question has been raised lately by some of the members, 

 whether it would not be better to close the rooms during some 

 days of the week and allow the public access on but two or three 

 days. The complaint is, that as matters are now, a member 

 has little advantage over one who is not a member. By opening 

 the rooms on certain stated days, the privilege of visiting them, it 

 is urged, will be considered a greater one than it now is. It has 

 been further suggested, that while the rooms are open to the public on 

 these set days, they should be made accessible on all other days by 

 the presentation of a ticket to be secured from any member. Though 

 it seems desirable that the privileges of the Society should not be 

 cheapened, it is at the same time a question whether we are so 

 overrun with visitors as to make it necessary to exclude them on 

 any day of the week, unless when something special and particular 

 is going on. It is true that the museums in some of the Eastern 

 cities are open only on certain days of the week, but on those days 

 they are visited by great numbers, and it would be a serious dis- 

 advantage to students to be interrupted when they desire to study. 

 Other museums, again, charge an admission fee, but this could not 

 be done in our case, as all will acknowledge. At the present time, 

 therefore, it does not seem desirable to close the rooms on any 

 day. 



The Microscope which was purchased about a year or so ago, 

 has not been used as much as would be desirable. A donation of 

 ten slides of various sorts of hairs was made by Mr. G. Curtis, and 

 others could be easily secured were the proper endeavors made. 

 The Magic Lantern purchased by the Society, promises to be of 

 great benefit By its means information can be more easily and 

 readily conveyed, and pictures are sure to attract much attention. 

 Mr. C. M. Woodward has donated 24 pictures toward a collection, 

 and these will doubtless come into play frequently. One other ad- 

 dition remains to be noted, as it has not been referred to by any 

 of the curators. That is a specimen of Pentacrimis deconis, a 

 recent crinoid, in alcohol, and a gift from Hon. John F. Follett. 

 The fact that a specimen like this can not be taken under the charge 

 of any curator, seems to me an indication of a defect in the consti- 

 tution. This instrument provides for Curators of Mineralogy, 



