Oct. 1896. Annum. Report of the Director. 93 



and collections, and of geographic regions or sources of specimen 

 supply, as well as the most modern manuals are the most important 

 permanent accessories to specimens themselves, and are indispensable 

 for reference, to a progressive working staff. The Curators complain 

 that they are unable to do the careful scientific work required 

 of them owing to the fact that the effective descriptive literary tools are 

 not provided. Although, as far as possible resources of other Libraries 

 are being drawn upon, it yet remains to be said that each department 

 of the Museum needs a still larger complement of specialized scientific 

 books for constant reference. As the routine work of the Library is 

 being performed by one assistant, the large amount of cataloguing to be 

 done progresses slowly. A type-written card catalogue shelf-list 

 is kept up to date and arranged by subjects so that the resources 

 of the Library on any specific subject can be given. A carefully 

 studied subject catalogue, which will give cross references to the 

 minor matter in collective books, has already been begun. The 

 author catalogue, comprising some 12,000 titles, has been completed 

 and is in use. All of the literature on the shelves of the Library 

 and belonging to the Museum, has been stamped with the Library 

 seal. Twenty-eight periodicals which would otherwise have been 

 subscribed for are now received regularly in exchange. The number 

 of periodicals subscribed for is 47. The total number of books in 

 the Department Libraries is as follows : Department of Geology, 

 1,190 and 1,100 pamphlets. Department of Ornithology, 368. De- 

 partment of Botany, 163. Department of Zoology, 169. Depart- 

 ment of Anthropology, 88. Total deposited in Departments — Books 

 and pamphlets, 3,078. No record of the use of these books is kept 

 by the Librarian. 



Records. — The accession catalogues have been carried on as 

 described in the Report of last year, with the exception that two new 

 books have been opened, one for the Department of Monographic 

 Collections, the other for the Section of Photograph}'. Great incon- 

 venience was caused by the lack of catalogues accompanying the 

 collections received at the inception of the Museum. At present for 

 each new accession either catalogues are obtained from the sender or 

 the Curators prepare catalogues of the material upon receipt. These 

 are then filed and jacketed for future use. The total number of 

 such descriptive papers, letters, documents, etc., now in the Record- 

 er's files reaches 9,426. Each paper filed receives its individual 

 number, and cannot be withdrawn from the Recorder's office without 

 written receipt. The Recorder, who acts as Custom House Agent 

 for the Museum, has cleared through the Custom House about 30 



