13 



TREASURER'S REPORT. 



Report of Henry Billings, treasurer, for 

 the fiscal year 1899-1900: 



RECEIPTS. 



Cash on hand as per last report. $303.70 

 Rent of Lake Quinsigamond 



property 300.00 



Ineome invested funds 383.75 



Henry E. Hill, trustee Conant 



fund 367.50 



Assessments 149.00 



Sale of "Physical Geography of 



Worcester" 2.00 



Interest on deposits 11.78 



Total $1,517.73 



EXPENSES. 



Metered water and meter repairs $10.44 

 Custodian, care of rooms, fur- 

 naces and sidewalks 512.00 



Insurance 36.75 



Tax, 1899 93.41 



Street betterjnent assessment. . . . 115.54 

 Postage, revenue stamps and sta- 

 tionery 3.64 



Gas 6.24 



Coal 136.75 



Advertising 21.83 



Sterling lectures 183.30 



Expenses of classes and museum. . 115.76 



Printing 32.70 



Cash on. hand to balance 249.37 



Total $1,517.73 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF MUSEUM. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of 



the Society : 



According to a pamphlet prepai'ed for 

 the Centennial exhibition in 1876, our 

 society had 12,000 specimens in its sev- 

 eral departments, "many of them of great 

 variety and value." We certainly have 

 more now than then, for additions have 

 yearly been made — many more than 

 enough to offset those lost naturally 

 through decay. 



Of these specimens the birds are dete- 

 riorating. This condition of affairs is 

 helped along by^ the fact that we loan 

 them freely to the teachers for use in 

 the schools. Consequently many are in 

 poor, others in bad, condition. These 

 should be replaced by perfect ones. 

 Twenty-five have been bought during the 

 past spring that were desirable. Several 

 birds of the county are lacking in our 

 collection. There is an opportunity to 



improve this department greatly from a 

 collection of Worcester County birds now 

 for sale in this city, but the lack of 

 money prevents our buying. The nest 

 and egg department is far from complete, 

 and should be bettered. 



The insects are not in the best of con- 

 dition, and should be gone through, with 

 a view to remove the worthless speci- 

 mens, rearrange, and fill the gaps as far 

 as possible. Great effort should be made 

 to illustrate the life history of as many 

 as possible, especially those which are 

 typical and those which are beneficial or 

 injurious to nian. 



The specimens in other departments are 

 in fair condition. 



Such material as there is, we have not 

 room or cases in which to display prop- 

 erly; indeed, some of it is still unpacked, 

 remaining in the boxes in which it was put 

 upon our removal from Foster street. It 



