MUSEUM BULLETIN 



OF THE 



LiBRAR 



EDITED FOR THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE NEW YOi 



BY CHARLES LOUIS POLLARD- CU RATOR- I N-C H I EF BOTANIC 



No. 37. Published Monthly at New Brighton, N. Y. AUGUST, 1911. aA (»[>£, 



The sum of $57 has been received for the library fund, in response to the 

 appeal published in the June issue of the Bulletin. This is a little over one- 

 third 0! the amount asked for. We hope that with the return of members and 

 friends of the Association from their summer vacations, the treasurer may be 

 able to report that the fund is complete. 



We take pleasure in recording the fact that the attendance at the museum 

 during the period (a little over four months) that has elapsed since its reopening 

 in the new quarters, has reached and surpassed the total attendance for the entire 

 last year in the Borough Hall. This fact alone, we think, is sufficient to justify 

 the increased appropriation received from the city, and demonstrates conclusive- 

 ly that a public museum on Staten Island is a public necessity. 



Attention is directed to the educational exhibit of birds' eggs that has replaced 

 the 17-year cicada exhibit, displayed during the spring and early summer. 

 Although the egg exhibit is to be found in the local biology room, it will be 

 noticed that not all of the eggs included are of Staten Island birds. This de- 

 parture was necessary in order to show certain striking contrasts in size and 

 other features, which would not have been possible with a strictly local collection 

 of eggs. This exhibit is well supplemented by the Staten Island birds' nests 

 and eggs in a neighboring case. 



Mr. Pollard has devoted a number of days during the summer to field work 

 in the immediate vicinity of New York. The entomological collections have 

 been thus enlarged, and material has also been obtained for future educational 

 and economic exhibits. A week was spent in camp among the Ramapo 

 Mountains of New Jersey, in the same locality visited last year. 



Mr. Cleaves spent a week on Gardiner's Island, at the eastern end of Long 

 Island, where studies of the home lives of the American osprey, Wilson's tern, 

 piping plover, black-crowned night heron, etc., begun the year before were con- 

 tinued. Another week was devoted to photographing black skimmers and laugh- 

 ing gulls in the wonderful bird colonies on the low, sandy island off the coast of 

 Vrginia, a short distance north of Cape Charles. Here Mr. Cleaves had oppor- 

 tunity to study nine species of birds that he had not met with before. On both 

 of the above trips many interesting photographs were obtained, some of which 

 will be shown before the Association during the coming winter season. 



Visitors to the Museum will find on the table in the library current issues of 

 several popular nature magazines kindly loaned for public use by a member of 

 the staff. Among these are Country Lite in America, Suburban Life, The 

 National Geographic Magazine, Bird Lore and A T ature and Culture. 



Entered as second-class matter in the Postoffice at New Brighton, N. Y., under Act of Congress of July 16. 1894 



