72 HISTORICAL SKETCH

the building fund were solicited from the citizens of Baltimore with
the result that a suitable building was constructed and made ready for
occupancy early in 1875. In this new building it was decided to
restrict objects placed on exhibition to such as belonged particularly
to the state of Maryland. Courses of free lectures, illustrated by
specimens from the collections, were given in the hall both by the
members and by professors of the Johns Hopkins University. Field
meetings were also held on alternate clear Saturdays during the sum-
mer or early autumn, and these were usually presided over by an
officer or prominent member of the Academy. Among the most
conspicuous of the leaders in these excursions was Mr. Philip T. Tyson,
who being a good geologist, 'mineralogist and chemist was every ready
to make intelligent remarks upon the structure and peculiarities of the
region visited. Many of the other members of the society assisted
in leading these excursions and did much to explain the geology,
physical geography and natural history of the areas visited.

Persons from other states visited the museum of the Academy and
were often assisted to obtain information about the natural history
objects which had excited their interest at home.

In 1883 the city of Baltimore passed an act to extend Cathedral
Street, and the building of the Academy being in the way of this
improvement, it became necessary to abandon it. The collections
were moved to other quarters, many of them being sent to the New
Orleans Cotton Exposition in 1884, where, through the carelessness
of those into whose custody they were placed, they were permanently
lost. Finally the balance of the Academy's collection was given to
the Johns Hopkins University.

The Academy upon relinquishing its public museum decided to
publish the manuscript material which had been accumulating for
many years, and in 1888 began the publication of its first volume of
" Transactions, " which were completed in 1895. This volume con-
tains several important contributions by Professor Philip R. Uhler,
the present President of the Academy, in which the Tertiary and
Cretaceous formations of eastern and southern Maryland are described.

In 1892 the large building at the corner of Franklin and Cathedral