Director 's Annual Report. 5 



could be obtained, I might attempt to finish this task. Some one 

 should do this, for at present the family is in sad confusion and needs 

 ample revision and illustration. It would add greatly to the value 

 of our publications could a monograph on the Hawaiian Lobeliaceae 

 be issued from our press. I have for some months been conducting 

 negotiations looking to securing such a botanical assistant. 



We also greatly need a marine zoologist, not only to work on 

 our reefs and study the many undescribed or little known species 

 of marine life, but to complete the grand collection of fishes 

 which so far as shown in the admirably colored casts prepared by 

 Mr. J. W. Thompson, our artist, greatly interest and delight our 

 visitors, but more important still add to the known species, and 

 increase our knowledge of species already named. As a single 

 instance, during the past year has been added to our collection a 

 large eel common in Samoan waters, but never before reported from 

 these islands : nor is this a solitary case ; in many other specimens 

 in our collection of casts we have either found new species, or old 

 species for the first time reported from these waters. 



If we had the income needed to secure the additional workers 

 we have not at present, nor do I see an}- immediate prospect of 

 securing such conveniences as are necessary for their work, let 

 alone space within the Museum walls for storage of the specimens 

 they may be expected to add. For months I have endeavored to 

 formulate plans which could meet the needs of such a museum as 

 this, and after presenting to the Trustees three successive sets of 

 plans, the second and third pared down from the preceding until 

 the attenuation can be carried no farther and leave vitality enough 

 in the structure to be of real use, still the funds available do not 

 admit, in the opinion of a majority of the Trustees, of beginning to 

 build. I do not despair, for the architect who planned the origi- 

 nal structure of this Museum gave only a closet under the stair- 

 way (which now hardly suffices for the janitors to store their im- 

 plements) for all the Museum work. Then came the cellar under 

 Polynesian Hall, and at last the temporary wooden buildings, 



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