62 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



habits go far to condoDe the obvious defects of his summer life. There 

 would be no difficulty in restoring the red squirrels to their former 

 abundance if it proved desirable; or, in all probability, it would be pos- 

 sible to introduce fox squirrels, which would take their place, and which 

 do not appear to disturb the birds so seriousl}'. 



The distribution of insect collections to high schools throughout the 

 State has been confined so far as circumstances would permit, but was 

 temporarily suspended by the inability to secure the necessary cases. 

 One hundred cases had been promised for the summer of 1902, but owing 

 to a misunderstanding incident to the change in the College secretaryship 

 only fifty were made and it was found impossibly to get any more from 

 outside parties until late in December. Fifty of these will be filled and 

 distributed during the present summer. From the numerous letters of 

 thanks and inquiry it is obvious that this effort to increase the interest in 

 popular natural history is being thoroughly appreciated. While it has 

 entailed a large amount of vacation work and no little expense to the 

 department, I believe the returns will more than justify all expenditures. 



THE GENERAL MUSEUM. 



Rather more than the usual amount of w'ork has been done in the 

 general museum during the year and the collections are in a fairly good 

 state of preservation. Owing to the settling of the building, which has 

 been going on for many years past, and the increasing unevenness of 

 the floor of the main hall, all the case doors are either too tight or too 

 loose, the latter allowing the entrance of moths and other museum pests 

 and making it necessary to inspect and disinfect specimens at frequent 

 intervals. There is no simple remedy for this condition of affairs and 

 nothing but eternal vigilance will prevent the ultimate destruction by 

 pests of all our valuable specimens of birds and mamnmls. 



The congestion due to lack of case room continues and can hardly be 

 relieved without the removal of part or all the collections to new quarters. 



Probably the most noteworthy single accession during the year is the 

 Reed City Meteorite, previously undescribed, w^hich was purchased from 

 the finder, Mr. Ernest Ruppert, of Reed City, Michigan, in January last, 

 and was cut and prepared at Ward's Natural Science Establishment, 

 Rochester. N. Y. This meteorite originally weighed about 44 pounds and 

 by exchange of a portion of this we secured for the museum a large 

 polished and etched slice of the Grand Rapids meteorite, a nice frag- 

 ment of the Allegan (Mich.) aerolite, showing a part of the fused crust, 

 and a nice specimen of a Kansas siderolite. This gives the College good 

 samples of all the meteorites yet discovered in Michigan, as well as 

 good examples of the three principal types of these celestial missiles. 

 We had formerly only a single example of meteoric iron, a fragment of 

 a siderite from Toluca, Mexico. 



As will be seen by reference to the College inventory, the valuation 

 of the museum — cases and specimens alone — for the current year i& 

 estimated at $17,853.75. 



Respectfully, 

 WALTER B. BARROWS, 



Professor of Zoology and Physiology and Curator of the General 

 Museum. „ 



Agricultural College, Mich. 

 June 30, 1J)03. 



