UNITED STATES NAVAL LYCEUM, 
Navy Yard, New- Yore, 
Jan. 14, 1884. 
Our brother Officers of the Navy possess peculiar advantages in the 
collection of rare and valuable Specimens of Natural History, Curiosities, 
&c. from tlieir diversified cruises to different parts of the globe, their 
various visits to busy ports, and shores but little known. Commanding, 
as they do, every facility, in obtaining and preserving objects of the 
greatest interest, it has been a subject of much surprise, that they should 
have devoted so little of their time, to a pursuit, the trouble of which is 
amply repaid by the relief it affords from the irksomeness of long and 
protracted detentions abroad, and particularly on stations remote from 
civilized society. 
But it is ardently to be hoped, that the infant operations of the Naval 
Lyceum, marked as they have been, by a success unlooked for, and un- 
precedented, will serve to attract the attention of the officers more gene- 
rally to the attention of this delightful study; and induce them zeaiouslv 
to contribute their individual and united aid in the formation of a Cabinet 
and Museum, which we may reasonably anticipate, will, in the course of 
time, reflect great credit on the enterprise and intelligence of the service 
to which we belong. 
As the object of the Lyceum is to establish a Museum, as well as a 
Cabinet of Natural History, almost every article, whether the production 
of nature or of art, will be thankfully received. 
From our personal knowledge of the liberality and love of country of the 
numerous American Consuls and Agents, scattered throughout the Hobp 
we confidently look to them for contributions of such suitable objects as it 
may be in their power conveniently to collect and transmit to the society ; 
and we trust that the commanders of our squadrons and ships abroad, and 
our brother officers generally, will cordially unite with us in building up 
an institution which may be considered decidedly a national one, and in 
the success of which every American must feel a patriotic pride. 
A depository has been established for the arrangement and preservation 
of whatever may be collected ; and the curators take leave to subjoin di- 
rections for collecting and preserving some of the articles which will prove 
acceptable to the society. 
Master Commandant M. C. PERRY, 
Lieutenant JAMES GLYNN, 
Surgeon WILLIAM SWIFT, \ Curators, 
Surgeon D. S. EDWARDS, 
Assistant Surgeon TH'S L. SMITH, J 
