1913] Proceedings of the Cleveland Meeting . 149 



"We do not make a practice of loaning type material. " — E. P. Felt, 

 New York State Museum. 



"We do not loan holotypes. We do loan cotxqjcs and ]jaratypes. " — ■ 

 V. L. Kellogg, Stanford University. 



"We have a rule against loaning types. When, however, all the 

 following conditions exist wc do occasionally send them out. The 

 borrower must be a trustworthy man who cannot con\^cniently get to 

 New York. The specimens must be of such a character that they 

 would not be likely to be injured in transportation, and there must be a 

 series, all of which are designated "type" by the author. The latter 

 seems to be a bad practice, but when there is such a series and the other 

 conditions are met we have occasionally sent out one or two s]3ecimens. " 

 — F. E. Lutz, American Museum of Natural History. 



"I think the question of loaning types is a delicate one. I believe 

 in institutions loaning them to thoroughly accredited persons and under 

 very stringent conditions." — W. M. Wheeler. 



The Milwaukee Public Museum has no rules governing the loan 

 of types. 



Fireproof Buildings. Experience has shown that so-called fireproof 

 buildings are sometimes destroyed by fire. Nevertheless, the following 

 information is of value. The new National Museum "is absolutely 

 fireproof, the only wood in construction being a skin floor on the top 

 floor and wooden window casing on this same floor. The doors are of 

 steel. The onh^ thing that would bum is the exhibits, and, in the case 

 of insects, we store them in steel cases, making it impossible for them to 

 catch fire if anything exposed should burn. " It should be said, however, 

 that very large alcoholic collections are kept in the basement. At the 

 British Museum the collections of fishes and reptiles (except the public 

 exhibits) are in a separate building, on account of the danger from fire. 

 It is hardly conceivable that a fire among the alcoholics in the basement 

 of the U. S, Museum would effect the insects, which are on an upper floor. 



The American Museum of Natural History "is as completely fire- 

 proof as it is possible to be made. " 



' ' The collections (of the New York State Museum) at the present 

 time are not in a fireproof building, though we expect to move within 

 a few months into a thoroughly, modern fireproof structure. " 



"The Museum of. the Brooklyn Instittite is considered fireproof." 



"The Carnegie Museum building is fireproof." 



The Museum of Comparati\"c Zoology building was considered 

 fireproof when examined by insurance experts. 



The Philadelphia Academy building "is built of brick, steel and 

 concrete ; the upright steel girders are covered with terra cotta and then 

 cemented. The main rooms and floors are all separated by aiitomatic 

 fire doors. The floors are concrete with no wood. " 



