REPORT. 
Under a resolution of the Academy adopted March 27, 1866, 
W. S. W. Ruschenberger, M.D., Joseph Leidy, M.D., Frederick 
Graff, John S. Haines, Ed. S. Whelen, John Welsh, William S. 
Yaux, Thomas Sparks, Robert Bridges, M.D., Joseph Jeanes, 
Henry C. Gibson, John H. Redfield, and George W. Tryon, Jr., 
were, January 14, 1873, duly elected a Board of Trustees of 
the Building Fund of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 
Philadelphia, for one year. 
The Board met January 17th, 1873. Dr. Ruschenberger was 
elected chairman, Mr. Yaux, Treasurer, and Mr. Tryon, Secre¬ 
tary. 
Messrs. Sparks, Whelen, Jeanes, Gibson, and Welsh were 
duly elected the Committee on Finance; and Messrs. Ruschen¬ 
berger, Yaux, Bridges, Graff, Leidy, Gibson, and Tryon, the 
Committee on Building. 
Specifications and estimates necessary to continue the con¬ 
struction of the building were ordered to be furnished by the 
architect. February 14th the estimates were submitted and 
examined; and, March 21st, the Board authorized the commit¬ 
tee on building to make contracts equal to $43,000, provided 
this amount should be sufficient to set in position the beams of 
the museum or main floor. The amount of the appropriation 
was thus limited, because the deed of trust properly provides 
that no contract for materials or work shall be made “ until the 
whole amount of funds necessary to carry out such contract 
shall be actually subscribed.” 
The working drawings having been completed, the building 
committee instructed the architect, April 7th, to invite eight 
