Annual Reports 69 



of collecting flowering specimens of Viorna ochroleuca', the rare, erect 

 clematis. On September 11, 12, and 13, Mr. Alexander Gershoy of the 

 New York State College of Agriculture was shown certain of the most 

 interesting botanical localities on the island, for the purpose of assisting 

 him in collecting specimens for the college herbarium. 



Special Exhibits 



One of the most instructive exhibits ever arranged in the Museum was 

 installed in October in cooperation with the Mayor's Aqueduct Celebration 

 Committee. It remained on exhibition for about eight weeks and was 

 highly commended by the chairman of the committee. An edition of 300 

 copies of the catalog of exhibits was printed as a four-page leaflet, on 

 request of the committee, so as to conform in size and style with catalogs 

 of other similar exhibits arranged elsewhere. 



Early in April an interesting war exhibit was installed, consisting of 

 articles made by wounded Italian soldiers in the American Hospital at 

 Florence, Italy. The articles were loaned by Miss Annie D. Hanks, who 

 for a period of about two years was a volunteer aid in the hospital. This 

 exhibit remained on display until the closing of the Museum. 



The Cold Winter and the Shortage of Fuel 

 During the phenomenally cold weather of the latter part of December, 

 1917, and the early part of January, igi^, the museum activities were re- 

 duced to a minimum and only the most necessary routine work was at- 

 tempted. Many of the pipes froze and the fire buckets in the main hallway 

 and assembly room froze solid and had to be thawed out each morning. 

 About the middle of January our local coal supply was exhausted and 

 we were informed that a limited amount could be obtained provided we 

 send for it. Mr. Mark Milnes happened to be at the new museum building 

 and he kindly drove his motor truck to the yard and brought back the coal.' 

 Continuing through February the fuel situation was such that the 

 Museum could only be kept open on a day-to-day basis, dependent upon 

 small amounts of coal that could be obtained from time to time. On Feb- 

 ruary 4 the last shovelful of coal in the cellar was used up; no more could 

 be obtained ; and on Wednesday, February 6, for the first time in its his- 

 tory, the Museum was obliged to close its doors to the public and did not 

 reopen until Thursday, February 14, a quarter of a ton of coal having 

 been secured the day before by hiring a horse and cart and getting it 

 ourselves; On the morning of Saturday the i6th we were again without 

 coal but during the afternoon Mr. Cleaves arrived in an automobile with 

 a quarter of a ton brought all the way from Prince's Bay. The last of 

 this lot was used up on Tuesday the 19th, and from then until Saturday 

 the 22d, when we secured the delivery of half a ton, there was no fire in 

 the furnace. The Museum was kept open, however, although very little 

 work could be accomplished other than that of sorting and packing speci- 



