4 
own language, namely : “ Iii tlie centre of the city is a square 
of ten acres; at each angle are to be houses for public affairs, 
as a meeting-house, assembly or State house, market-house, 
school-house and several other buildings for public concerns.” 
And the said trustees respectfully represent that the purposes 
for which said academy is organized and maintained are strictly 
investigatory and educational in their character; that, by the 
labors and contributions of its members and donations of indi¬ 
viduals, continued through more than a half century, the said 
academy has acquired collections of natural objects more nu¬ 
merous and intrinsically valuable than those of any similar 
institution in the United States; and in like manner it has 
become possessed of a natural history library of more than 
twenty thousand volumes, which is maintained as a library for 
reference, and as such is freely at the service of all applicants. 
And the museum is opened to the public during two afternoons 
of every week—and has been during nearly a half century— 
without charge, or other impediments or restrictions than those 
necessary for the arrangement and preservation of the books 
and specimens, and that the average number of visitors to the 
museum on each public day is about one thousand. But from 
the crowded condition of the cabinets and the too restricted 
limits of the hall, these vast collections cannot be made to yield 
to the public as much information and gratification as they 
would be capable of imparting if displayed in adequate space. 
The said trustees respectfully represent also that the said 
academy consists at present of about six hundred members, 
and that all persons of reputable character are eligible to mem¬ 
bership ; and it is the intent and desire of said academy that 
its useful course, in acquiring and freely diffusing knowledge of 
the natural sciences, hitherto pursued for more than half a cen¬ 
tury, shall be continued ; and, with a view to afford visitors and 
students additional facilities to acquire knowledge, it purposes 
to erect a suitable and spacious building, wherein its materials 
and implements of study shall be properly arranged ; and for 
the sake of the convenience of the public generally it is most 
desirable that the proposed building shall be located in a cen¬ 
tral part of the city. 
And the said trustees of the building fund of the Academy 
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia furthermore represent, that 
through the liberality of citizens of Philadelphia who have ap¬ 
preciated the great importance of the academy to the commu¬ 
nity as an educational institution, a sum of over one hundred 
thousand dollars has been subscribed to its building fund; and 
they confidently believe that the one hundred and fifty thou- 
