766 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [DeC. , 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS. 



The Curators are able to report many iraprovemenis in the 

 museum and buildings of the Academy during the past year, as 

 wcill as important advances in the arrangement and growth of the 

 collections. 



In the early part of the year, through the increased funds at their 

 disposal, the services of Dr. Henry Skinner and Mr. E. G. 

 Vanatta were secured as Assistants ; Dr. Henry A. Pilsbry was 

 appointed Special Curator of Mollusca, while Mr. Henry W. 

 Fowler has been employed identifying, arranging and caring for 

 the collection of fishes. 



With these additions the salaried staff of the Academy is now 

 greater than ever before, and the work accomplished ■ during the 

 year has been correspondingly increased. 



During the summer the outside woodwork of the buildings, 

 which has been for some time badly in need of attention, has been 

 entirely repainted, and necessary repairs have been made to the 

 roofs. 



A number of cases have been erected for the extension of the 

 library and for the accommodation of additions to the herbarium 

 and the study collection of mollusks, while eighteen moth-proof 

 tin cases have been purchased for the study series of birds and 

 mammals, in addition lo five large wooden ones uniform with those 

 provided last year. 



In the museum seven plate glass cases have been constructed 

 from the general appropriations and the income of the " Mary 

 Jeanes Museum Fund." Three of these are of large size, two for 

 birds and one for mammals, and cover collectively over six hun- 

 dred square feet of floor space. Two other cases hiive been pre- 

 sented by Mr. Clarence B. Moore, uniform with those already 

 installed, to accommodate the accessions to the " Moore Archaeo- 

 logical Collection." The large slab of fossil ferns presented by 

 Mr. C. B. Nichols has also been enclosed in glass. 



The opening of the museum on Sunday afternoons has been con- 

 tinued throughout the year, to the gratification of large numbers 

 of persons who are unable to visit it on weekdays. 



During the past summer the Academy has for the first time 



