Page:A Short History of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1909).djvu/48

30 in 1891, a party of associates more directly representing the society, consisting of Messrs. Sharp, Holt, Hughes, Burk, Keely and Mengel, being under the leadership of Professor Heilprin. Considerable material new to science and to the museum was obtained. Because, perhaps, of incomplete instructions, serious misunderstandings arose among the members of the party on their return which, however, did not prevent the sending of an expedition under the command of Professor Heilprin to the relief of Peary the following year. This party consisted of Henry G. Bryant, second in command; Dr. Jackson M. Mills, William E. Meehan, Samuel G. Entrekin, Frank Stokes, Albert W. Vorse, Charles E. Kite and the leader. The object of the expedition was accomplished successfully. Lieut. Peary and those left with him in Greenland the year before, with the exception of John Verhoeff who was lost, were landed in Philadelphia, September 23d. Extensive collections were brought back and the leader testified in his report that in this party good fellowship at all times prevailed.

An Anthropological Section was formed in 1895 with Harrison Allen as Director. The interest in the organization was at first active, but after the deaths of Doctors Brinton and Allen, it was not sustained and no meeting having been held or report presented for the preceding twelve months, the section ceased to exist at the end of 1898.

Nearly one-half of the accessions to the library in 1895 had formerly belonged to Dr. James Aitken Meigs. He had served as Librarian from August, 1856 to May, 1859. He died March 9, 1879, and his father retained possession of his books and instruments until his death, when he bequeathed them to the Academy with the sum of $20,000, one-half for the increase of the library and the rest without restriction or condition.

Dr. Robert H. Lamborn, who died in 1895, bequeathed his estate to the Academy "to be used in biological and anthropological researches, the income only to be used and the principal invested." Question as to the validity of the will under the New York State law having been raised by the heirs-at-law, a compromise was effected on the basis of one-half coming to the society and the balance to