(11) 
formerly of the University of Wisconsin, was appointed 
Director of the Laboratories by authority of the Scientific 
Directors on October 1, 1g11, succeeding Mr. Seaver, who 
had held that position for several years and who was at the 
same time transferred to a curatorship. Details of labora- 
tory work are presented in Mr. Stout’s report, which is 
hereto appended. There have been no applications during 
the year by botanists for the privilege of occupying the 
laboratory at Cinchona, Jamaica, maintained by us in 
cooperation with the Department of Agriculture of that 
island, but a party of entomologists from the American 
Museum of Natural History and another party of entomolo- 
gists from Harvard University were given the privileges of 
this station during the year. 
Lectures and Teaching 
The system of Saturday afternoon public lectures at the 
museum building has been continued, commencing April 
29 and closing October 28, to appreciative audiences, 
which have averaged somewhat larger than in previous 
years. The list of titles of these lectures appears in the 
report of the Assistant Director. The attendance was 
well maintained quite to the end of the course and it 
is proposed to extend the system this year into the month 
of November. Lectures and demonstrations to children 
from the public schools were given during the spring; no 
essential change was made in the methods of presentation. 
The provision for docentry made during the last 
half of 1910 has been continued throughout 1911 with 
excellent results, and is highly appreciated by those 
who have come within this system of instruction. Obser- 
vation of this work has convinced me that it is desirable 
to elaborate it, and it is planned to extend the appro- 
priation recommended for 1912 by assigning parts of 
this work to three different members of the staff, in 
addition to their regular duties, so as to have more docents 
available when occasion demands it. Inasmuch as the 
