320 DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN MUSEUMS 



60, types and figured specimens, 4; Plants, Nova Scotia, 507, 

 foreign, 6. 



ZOOLOGY. Shells, Nova Scotia, 200, foreign, 925; Insects, Nova 

 Scotia, 1626, foreign, 90; Other invertebrates, Nova Scotia, 300, for- 

 eign , 250, types, i (Sthenoteuthis megaptera)', Fishes, Nova Scotia, 260, 

 foreign, 50, figured, 2; Batrachians, Nova Scotia, 50, foreign, 15; Rep- 

 tiles, Nova Scotia, 25, foreign, 50; Birds, Nova Scotia, 403, foreign, 50, 

 figured, 5 ; Mammals, Nova Scotia, 180, foreign, 24. Material of spec- 

 ial interest includes a specimen of Cer alias holbolli Kroyer, a very rare 

 deep-sea fish of which only four specimens are known. 



OTHER DEPARTMENTS. Naval architecture, 8 ; Numismatics, Nova 

 Scotia, 101, foreign, 1305. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH. The founding of the museum was first pro- 

 posed in 1862 but was not actually accomplished until 1868, when a 

 room was set apart for this purpose in the government building. The 

 collections of the defunct Mechanics Institute formed the nucleus of 

 the museum, to which was added material purchased from Nova Sco- 

 tia exhibitors at the Paris exhibition. In 1899 the museum was re- 

 moved to a new building and the Provincial Science Library was or- 

 ganized and pJacec in charge of the curator of the museum. In 1909 

 the museum and library were removed to the new building of the Nova 

 Scotia Technical College, where they occupy the entire western 

 wing. 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT. A fixed yearly grant of $2600 from the Nova 

 Scotia government. 



BUILDING. The museum occupies 2856 square feet of floor space 

 for exhibition, 158 for office and workroom, 1920 for library stack- 

 room, and 176 for reading room, in the government's technical college, 

 which was erected in 1908-9 at a total cost of $150,000. 



ADMINISTRATION. By a curator, responsible to the department of 

 public works and mines of Nova Scotia. 



SCOPE. Exploration, research, college teaching, instruction of the 

 general public, maintenance of local collections, preparation of min- 

 eral exhibits for ]ocal and foreign exhibitions, and the furnishing of 

 information on the resources of Nova Scotia. 



LIBRARY. 36,784 books and pamphlets on pure and applied science, 

 intended for the use of both staff and public. 



PUBLICATIONS. Three administrative reports and a number of 

 descriptive catalogs have been published by the museum. Papers relat- 

 ing to the museum have also been published in other journals. 



ATTENDANCE. Open free to the public. 



