arsenal. Five hundred and seventy (570) drawers each containing 

 possibly one hundred specimens, that is probably fifty thousand speci- 

 mens, are in the basement of the State house exposed to misuse by 

 chance visitors or workmen who have little idea of their value. 



This is the worst feature in the present condition of the museum, 

 namely, that a part of the museum is not only wholly inaccessible, but 

 in danger of dissipation. 



Another feature is that the material in the one museum room (60 

 by 50 ft.) is so crowded as to permit neither of scientific nor artistic 

 arrangement. Most of the cases are only two feet apart, leaving 

 aisles so narrow that visitors can with difficulty pass between them, 

 and lack space enough for even properly seeing the specimens, in 

 the mammal case are eighty-seven specimens, while two of the largest 

 animals would be enough to occupy the case, that is, there are forty 

 times too many specimens in the case. In one of the fossil cases 

 are three hundred and forty specimens. Half of that number are 

 sufficient to fill the case. Four of the cases which are high enough in 

 themselves have others placed on them so that the specimens on the 

 upper shelves cannot be seen. All of these difficulties are unavoidable 

 because of lack of room. 



The Work Room. 



There should be some room where determination, mounting and 

 preparation and the general work incident to a museum could be 

 performed. There is absolutely at present no space for such work. 



The Library. 



Some rude cases have been pieced together and in them have been 

 placed the books which last winter were crowded together on the 

 floor and covered with canvas in the vain hope of protecting them from 

 water leaking through the ceiling. These books constitute the work- 

 ing library of the department. Some of them cannot be found else- 

 where in this part of the country and are rare and valuable. Where 

 they now are they are in danger of being completely ruined and should 

 at the earliest moment be removed to a place of safety and accessibility 

 and provided with good cases. It appears that none of the pamphlets 

 which have accrued to the library have been bound. Out of the six 

 thousand pamphlets possibly something more than half are of such use- 

 ful and valuable nature that they should be provided with simple 

 binding at least, such as would protect them and make them ac- 

 cessible. The library contains about two thousand bound volumes. 

 The most pressing need is in the line of books of reference. Successful 

 work can be carried on in the institution only with the aid of some 

 good literature on the subjects handled. 



The library has never been catalogued. 



Other Museums. 



Among the two hundred and forty-three American museums with 

 which I have some acquaintance are all gradations from those of 



