The Vilest American Museum. 57 



cutions of original biological investigations, to consult Eastern, 

 and in many cases, European libraries, from the lack of any 

 libraries of note in California of a scientific character. 



A feature that should be prominent in every library is ihe pre- 

 servation of local history. No library is nearly complete without 

 complete hies of all the newspapers, magazines, and posters, 

 and circulars, as it is possible to secure. Every book or other 

 publication, containing even the slightest reference to the region, 

 should be preserved, and especially all Government reports and 

 scientific papers — often fugitive essays in foreign papers or maga- 

 zines, or in the proceedings of some society far removed. These 

 papers are often indispensable to the historical or biological 

 student to avoid error, incompleteness and injustice to others in 

 his own work. 



The library of C, R. Orcutt contains some thousands of scien- 

 tific books, pamphlet, stray papers, files of newspapers, and the 

 files of scientific and other exchanges of the West American 

 Scientist, which is being continually added to through various 

 exchanges and purchases. In some respects the collection is 

 unique and could not well be duplicated without great expense 

 and trouble. Among the older volumes are two bearing the 

 date of 177 1. Some of the scientific books are valued as high 

 as $40.00 for a single volume. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The West American Scientist will continue to be published 

 monthly, and become the organ of the Museum. The influence 

 of the magazine will be greatly to the advantage of the Museum 

 at the start, and the exchanges with other magazines, individuals 

 and societies, and literature received for review will very materi- 

 ally augment the library. 



It will doubtless be found desirable to issue other series of 

 publications such as bulletins, annual reports, memoirs, etc.; 

 but these will not be immediately necessary. It will be best to 

 establish a liberal system of exchanges throughout the United 

 States and Europe, this often being the only way of securing 

 invaluable publications of some foreign institutions. 



EXCHANGES. 



In addition to a system of exchanges of publications it will be 

 necessary to arrange to exchange with other American institu- 

 tions and individuals and foreign societies, sending them speci- 

 mens of our plants and animals, minerals and fossils, in return 

 for which they will gladly send us series for their own countries. 



ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT. 



It is proposed to incorporate at an early date, under the laws 

 of the State of California. The government of the Museum will 

 be in the hands of a Board of Regents, consisting of ladies or 



