ee ee 
PROVINCIAL MUSEUM REPORT 
FOR THE YEAR 1918. 


































Sinee the last Annual Report, although no actual field-work” was undertaken, a great deal 
of time was devoted to the study collection in going through the specimens which have been 
:  eollected from time to time and are stored in the annex. All the specimens have been rearranged, 
_ labelled, and listed, so as to make them more accessible to those who wish to consult them in 
the several branches of natural sciences. | 
In this building, which is not in any way fire-proof, is stored a very large and valuable 
eollection of anthropological material, which, if it were to be destroyed by fire, would be 
impossible to duplicate; this also applies to a large number of totem-poles in the basement 
under this building. The older people of the aboriginal races of this Province are fast disappear- 
‘ing, and as the younger people do not appear to have any interest in the work done by their 
forefathers, it will be only a short time at the longest when all the old wood-carvings will be 
a thing of the past; although without doubt, in many portions of the Province, archeological 
specimens of the stone age may be unearthed in the vicinity of some of their old camp-sites. 
This building also contains the Museum study series of bird-skins, numbering over 4,500 
specimens. A number of the leading museums and ornithologists make application for the loan 
of specimens from time to time for comparison in determining species and subspecies, also for 
working out the distribution and migration of birds on this continent. The same applies to 
the mammal study collection, numbering nearly 1,500 specimens. 
There is no way of accurately recording the number of visitors who visit the Museum during 
the year, as a large number of people, including children and Orientals, do not sign their names; 
however, a glance at the register shows that the average attendance is maintained, as over 
_ 30,500 persons having recorded their names in the book which is placed in the entrance-hall for 
_ that purpose. 
It will be seen from the report on the Botanical section, written by Mr. W. R. Carter, 
Assistant Biologist, that Professor John Macoun, of Sidney, B.C.; J. M. Macoun, C.M.G., Chief 
_ of the Biological Division, Ottawa; Dr. C. F. Neweombe, Victoria; and others have still main- 
tained their friendly interest in the Provincial Herbarium, by presenting specimens to fill in 
the gaps, principally of the Vancouver Island flora, and as Director I am pleased to say that 
in the Herbarium to-day there is to be found almost every plant and flowering shrub that is to 
_ be found on or recorded from Vancouver Island. 
A large number of the specimens that were added this year to the Herbarium had been 
eollected by Mr. W. R. Carter before he was appointed to the staff of the Provincial Museum. 
Mr. BE. H. Blackmore has continued to carry on the systematic work in the Entomological 
section; this work is done by Mr. Blackmore gratuitously, and he has written considerable 
material of interest to entomologists in this report, giving bases of new and rare specimens 
recently deseribed or found in this Province. 
A great deal of the time of the Director has been taken up with game matters during the 
year. I was instructed by the Attorney-General’s Department to go over to Vancouver in the 
latter part of March, and take over the Game Department temporarily before it was handed over 
to the administration of the Provincial Police. This necessitated the Director being in Van- 
couver a considerable time each week until the offices were transferred to Victoria. The Director 
was also made Secretary of the Game Conservation Board by Statute, and has to give consider- 
able of his time to that work, which is under the administration of the Honourable Attorney- 
General’s Department. - 
The Director hopes that, if funds will permit this year, to carry on more scientific research 
in the field, so as to fulfil the object of the Provincial Museum. 
Very little anthropological material was secured during the year; several small collections 
were offered to the Department for purchase, but owing to the fact that the appropriation was so 
limited and the strictest economy was to be exercised, it was thought advisable not to make 
any of these purchases at present. However, several good specimens of stone pestles (Nos. 3138 
