b DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



RECOMMENDATION. 



This properly concludes my duty as Treasurer, but in closing 

 my official term I desire to call the careful attention of the members 

 of the Academy to the need of providing for the care and supervi- 

 sion of our valuable collection. The Academy has now, for years, 

 had the benefit of the gratuitous services of our present Curator, 

 and the museum itself, as well as its intelligent arrangement, are 

 largely due to his zeal and skill. The time has now arrived when 

 provision should be made for his compensation. Some immediate 

 action should be taken to retain his services, and I trust it will be 

 hearty, unanimous, and, above all, liberal. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



Chas. E. Putnam, Treasurer. 

 January 4th, 1882. 



CURATOR'S REPORT. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Academy: — Since the last 

 report upon the museum, one year ago, an entire new series of cab- 

 inet cases has been put in ujDon the main floor of the museum room, 

 according to the original plan, consisting of six double cases, form- 

 ing alcoves around the room, and one wall-case in corresponding 

 style, giving a space of ninety-six feet in width and seven feet in 

 height. They are built of ash outside, with glazed doors of seven- 

 teen by forty-two inch panes, and with adjustable shelving twelve 

 inches in depth from front to back ; and they are well adapted to 

 the purposes of the museum and at the same time are suitable for 

 books, if it should at any time be desirable to devote that room to 

 library purposes upon the completion of the entire building em- 

 braced in the original plan. These cases cost #385, and constitute 

 the best improvement made since we occupied this building. The 

 cases formerly occupying that room have been plact d down stairs, 

 and are occupied, or are to be as fast as the work can be done, with 

 mineral and geological collections. 



The gallery contains eleven wall-cases six feet in width, the min- 

 eral cases in the library room are twenty feet, in the basement are 

 eleven cases, and in the botanical room, one case. The whole 

 amount of cabinet space now available for the collections is over 

 two hundred and fifty feet in width of cases, with glass doors. 

 In addition to these are horizontal glass cases of aggregate area of 



