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penses incidental to similar institutions, and furnishing com- 

 paratively nothing towards the increase of the library, the fit- 

 ting up additional cases, the publication of our Transactions, 

 or the numerous other points which are absolutely essential to 

 the completion of the designs of the Institute. You are of 

 course aware, that what has been done by the Institute al- 

 ready, has not been simply through its annual income ; dona- 

 tions of considerable amounts have been frequently made for 

 special purposes. To one gentleman we have been indebted 

 for the means of completing our collection of works on Mine- 

 ralogy, and enriching our Museum with scarce and high priced 

 specimens. To another for a work on Fossil Conchology; 

 which, though consisting only of six octavo volumes, cannot 

 be obtained at an expense far short of ^200 ; and that is in- 

 dispensable to the student of Geology. I might enumerate 

 others of a similar character, but I will merely point to the 

 splendid cases you see around you, and add the tribute of my 

 gratefuFacknowledgments to the liberality of some few of our 

 fellow citizens, who have erected here a monument to which 

 each of us may with pride refer, as among the many proofs 

 of the noble and enlightened spirit of the citizens of Albany. 

 That many of them have, among the numerous claims that 

 are constantly made upon them, deemed the Institute worthy 

 of a portion of their contributions, goes far, in my mind, to 

 disprove the assertion, that their purses are always closed to 

 their own institutions, and always open to those of others. 

 Nor must I omit to mention the debt of gratitude we owe to 

 the Trustees of the Albany Academy, who have allowed us 

 the gratuitous use of these noble apartments, a boon which we 

 shall be more hkely to estimate at its true value, when we con- 

 sider that if it were withdrawn, our funds would not enable 

 us to procure accommodation more than sufficient for the sto- 

 rage of our collections packed up in boxes. But while much 

 has been done, and the Institute has already begun to reflect 

 back upon the city the honor which arises from the possession 

 of a society contributing its quota towards the advance of 

 knowledge, much still remains behind. To effect this, money 

 is required; and if you feel indisposed to add your time and 



