306 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [DeC, 



Eight hundred and seventy-four volumes and parts of periodicals 

 were used on the premises by the scientific staff, and 105 volumes 

 were borrowed. No record was kept of books used in the reading 

 room. 



The cooperation of Miss H. N. Wardle in the library is thankfully 

 acknowledged. 



Edward J. Nolan, Librarian. 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS. 



The impossibility of obtaining metal cases and the greatly in- 

 creased cost of everything connected with museum exhibits have 

 seriously handicapped the Curators in any effort toward the instal- 

 ment of new exhibits during the past year as well as in the better 

 arrangement of the study collections. 



It has nevertheless been possible to keep the collections and the 

 buildings in excellent condition, to properly care for all accessions 

 and to make some notable improvements in the quarters of several of 

 the departments. 



The removal of the offices of the State Department of Health to 

 Harrisburg on July 1st, last, and the consequent vacating of the 

 rooms which they had occupied for many years made these quarters 

 in the east of the north wing available for museum purposes and the 

 botanical department was immediately installed there. The in- 

 creased light in these rooms makes them much better suited for the 

 work of the botanical staff and greatly facilitates the consultation of 

 the herbarium. One of the old rooms at the west end of the north 

 wing has been retained as a botanical storage room where collections 

 can be roughly sorted and prepared for mounting. 



The other rooms at the west end of the north wing were alloted to 

 the mineralogical and geological department which in turn vacated 

 the room on the fourth floor of the south wing which it had tempor- 

 arily occupied, and which now reverts to the department of marine 

 invertebrates. A dark room was erected in the new mineralogical 

 quarters and running water was supplied in the herbarium. 



The alterations to the heating plant outlined in last years report 

 were completed during the summer and a telephone exchange estab- 

 lished on the fourth floor of the middle wing in charge of a steno- 

 grapher, where the clerical work of the curators can be carried on. 



The large plaster shades hung below the ceiling lights on the first 

 floor of the museum were removed as they had proved unsatisfactory 

 and were in danger of falling. 



