Page:A Short History of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1909).djvu/36

22 of the Building Fund that, on the retirement of Dr. Hays in 1869, he was almost as a matter of course elected President. His withdrawal on age from active service in the United States Navy had provided him with leisure for congenial employment, and his connection with the Academy, the American Philosophical Society and the College of Physicians, was productive of the most beneficial results.

After a quiescence of seven years, the Biological Department had been revived, in 1868, by union with the Microscopical Society, under the title Biological and Microscopical Section. Dr. E. S. Kenderdine was President of the Microscopical Society and Dr. Leidy of the Biological Department. When the union was effected Dr. William Pepper was elected Director. He characteristically imparted vitality to the proceedings of the first year, in which J. Gibbons Hunt, Dr. Leidy, Dr. J. H. McQuillen, Dr. Horatio C. Wood, Jr., Dr. S. Weir Mitchell and W. H. Walmsley took an active part. Fragmentary proceedings were published during the three succeeding years as supplements to the Academy's volume, and were then suspended. The meetings of the Section, however, have been continued, and occasional receptions have been held. The semi-centennial of the formation of the Section was celebrated last year by an enjoyable banquet, at which speeches were made reminiscent of old times and in affectionate commemoration of those who had labored and gone before.

Through the efforts of Mr. Tryon, a Conchological Section had been established in 1866. Its administration resulted in the completion of the arrangement of the conchological collection which, because of the zeal of Tryon and his successor, Dr. Pilsbry, is probably the equal of any to be found elsewhere.

The removal to Nineteenth and Race Streets was begun on the 2d of September, 1875, Messrs. George W. Tryon, Jr., and Charles F. Parker having been engaged on salary to transfer the collections to the new building. The transfer of the library was made early in 1876, the librarian making special acknowledgment for assistance to James A. Ogden and John A. Ryder, both at the time Jessup Fund students.