O. MISCELLANEOUS. 571 



O. MISCELLANEOUS. 



EEPORT OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



NEW YORK, FOR 1874. 



The report of the American Museum of Natural History 

 for 1874 has just been published by the directors. The 

 rapid progress that has been made in the enterprise is best 

 shown by the announcement that the corner-stone of the 

 new fire-proof building was laid during the year, and that 

 it will probably be completed in the course of the year 

 1875/ 



The more important additions to the collections of the 

 museum during the year have been the conchological cab- 

 inet of Dr. John C. Jay, embracing 50,000 specimens, and a 

 valuable library of conchological works of about 1000 vol- 

 umes. Mr. R. A. Witthouse has presented 2000 species of 

 American coleoptera. A series of sixteen skeletons of the 

 gigantic moas, or fossil birds of New Zealand, has been re- 

 ceived in New York. The department of anthropology has 

 been enlarged by the purchase of the collections of Indian 

 antiquities made by Dr. E. H. Davis and by E. G. Squier, 

 and that of mineralogy by the purchase of a collection of 

 minerals, embracing 7000 cabinet specimens. 



During 1874 $13,000 were subscribed for the purchase of 

 new and attractive collections, which sum was invested in 

 procuring the series just mentioned. There is at present no 

 definite endowment to meet the expenses of the museum, the 

 institution being dependent for this upon the contributions 

 of its annual members, who pay $10 each. Subscriptions of 

 $100 and upward are reserved for increasing the collections. 

 The membership has been augmented during the year from 

 350 to 1100, and it is hoped it will soon be sufficiently large 

 to furnish all the means necessary to secure the best scien- 

 tific assistance in the various branches of the museum. 



KIRTLAND SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



The Kirtland School of Natural Sciences, established in 

 Cleveland, Ohio, concluded its course on the 9th of August. 



