HISTORY OF THE ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM OF 

 NATURAL HISTORY. 



(A paper presented at the Pittsbursh Meeting of the American Association of Museums.) 



PREFACE. 



The work of bringing the following material together has not been 

 done in the spirit of idle inquiry into things of small moment but for 

 the purpose of learning of events which have had valuable results. 



There is a dearth of records concerning the Museum. For long 

 periods of years no catalogues were made. The catalogues that were 

 begun within the last thirty years have not been made complete.' But 

 few curator's reports have ever been published. 



The facts presented have been found in the "State Laws," "Geo- 

 logical Survey Reports," in two "Curator's Reports," in letters and 

 from conversation with people acquainted with the institution. 



If the history of a dozen or more like institutions in the country were 

 written there would doubtless be presented facts which would ,be of 

 valuable service to those institutions and render them more capable of 

 efficiently carrying out the purpose' of their foundation. 



A. R. Crook. 



Jime 12, 1907. 



