Director' s Anmial Report. 5 



Our binding is so expensive that it ma}- prove good economy 

 to do our own binding. During the ^ear we had bound 72 vol- 

 umes of many sizes, but mostly bound in durable buckram; 213 

 volumes are ready for binding but are awaiting information as to 

 cost at the large libraries and museums. The large libraries gen- 

 erally and the museums frequenth' have their own binderies, but 

 our information is not complete enough to make a report at present. 

 As will be seen our exchanges come in parts, and to be preserved 

 and used must be bound. 



During his absence the Direclor, under authorization of the 

 Trustees, made arrangements not only for some additional ex- 

 changes, but also for completing our sets of desirable publications. 

 Many of the old societies recognize the importance of a reference 

 library for the use of scientists and explorers passing through our 

 port, and are endeavoring to complete our sets as old and rare 

 parts may be found. I have often been asked how our own 

 publications can best be bound for use, and I have advised 

 libraries to bind each of the quarto memoirs separately for con- 

 venience in handling — a course followed by many museums that 

 exchange with us, and we shall endeavor to make this course 

 more practicable by furnishing an index to each complete part 

 (as we have already done in several cases), as well as to the 

 entire volume. 



The modeler, Mr. J. W. Thompson, has made manj' casts of 

 fish during the year and also man}^ casts of rare specimens bor- 

 rowed for the purpose. I found no work during my journe}- so 

 artistic as his. In almost every case where casting is used it was 

 quite unnecessary to put "cast" on the label. 



During the Diredlor's absence Mr. J. F. G. Stokes was Acting 

 Dire(5lor; as Curator of Polynesian Ethnology he reports that while 

 there were no large colledlions added to the Museum either by gift 



or purchase, there were still considerable accessions, among the 



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