went far to relieving necessities which were yearly becoming more pressing. The estimated value of the Johnson estate was $52,083.
Modification of the By-Laws adopted in 1876 provided for the appointment of Professors and Assistant Professors, who were to be intrusted with the arrangement, increase and preservation of the collections. Under these provisions a number of professors were appointed by the Council. The lecture fees were not enough to defray expenses, proving, it was believed, that the attempt to establish systematic teaching could not be successfully realized in the absence of endowments, and the By-Laws defining the professorships were subsequently repealed.
After the resignation of Mr. Tryon, the arrangement of the collections was continued by Mr. Charles F. Parker,[1] who had earlier given devoted service to the care of the herbarium and had been elected Curator in 1873. Mr. Parker succeeded Mr. Tryon as the salaried Curator-in-Charge. He served most efficiently until 1883, when his death was, it is believed, hastened, if not caused, by the tireless discharge of his duties.
Frequent acknowledgment is given by the Curators at this time to John A. Ryder[2] for assistance in the care and arrangement of the collections. He had been appointed a Jessup Fund student, after a first unsuccessful application, in 1874, being indebted mainly to Mr. Meehan for his selection. His work as an attache of the United States National Museum and of the United States Fish Commission, and subsequently as Professor of Comparative Histology and Embryology in the University of Pennsylvania, together with the high value of his contributions to the literature of philosophical biology, entitle him to be considered the most distinguished of those who have been assisted by the Jessup endowment. He died at the height of his scientific vigor, full of ambitious designs for the future, in 1896.
Dr. Henry C. Chapman succeeded Mr. Tryon as Curator in August, 1876, but served only until the end of 1877. He had been elected a member in 1868, and immediately availed himself of the resources of the library and museum for the enthusiastic
