Annual Reports 191 



curator-in-chief of the Brooklyn Aluseum, arrangements were made where- 

 by Miss Helen Aitkin, in charge of this department, has undertaken the 

 naming of our own very excellent collection of shells. In return we shall 

 turn over our duplicates to the Brooklyn Museum. 



The American Museum of Natural History has made a special feature 

 of the collection of local insects, taken within a 50-mile radius of New 

 York City. These have been placed in separate cases and have been 

 officially committed to the custody of the New York Entomological 

 Society. During the past winter various groups in the local collection 

 were studied and determined by members of the society, and I have 

 taken the opportunity of having our own material worked over at the 

 same time, in return giving my own services to the American Museum, 

 naming for them the groups in which I am interested. 



By far the most important means of cooperation is afforded by the 

 Association of Museums, which holds an annual meeting. At this con- 

 vention the various curators present papers on matters of museum admin- 

 istration, details of exhibition, methods of mounting, etc., and in the social 

 life of that meeting there is usually an opportunity to discuss matters of 

 mutual benefit. So widely is the value of this association recognized that 

 with very few exceptions the institutions of the country pay the expenses 

 of their curators. In the proceedings of the past two years there will be 

 found several contributions of my own, and the recently published list of 

 American museums has nearly two pages devoted to the museum of the 

 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences. I do not hesitate to say 

 that the best ideas developed in our museum have been gained from 

 attendance at the Museums Association meetings. 



General Remarks 



In my various quarterly reports to the Board suggestions and recom- 

 mendations for the betterment of the museum are made from time to time. 

 Some of these involve merely a slight expenditure for supplies of furni- 

 ture, easily made from our budget appropriation. Others require the co- 

 operation of our friends in various ways. For example, the suggestion 

 is made by the assistant curator, that the popularity of our exhibit of live 

 animals warrants its increase and that cages containing specimens of the 

 smaller mammals of Staten Island might properly be added. The honorary 

 curator of geology recommends the installation of framed geologic and 

 topographic maps. One of our members suggests that the value of the 

 insect exhibits would be enhanced if cases were added showing meta- 

 morphosis in the various orders, as of a caterpillar to a butterfly, etc.; and 

 there is no question that our display of local ornithology would be infinitely 

 more instructive if the bird could be mounted with nest and eggs on the 

 same branch. It has always been my desire to establish traveling schoo. 

 collections, which could be used to illustrate the classroom work in oui 



