35 



Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



for the first three months of the present year may, therefore, 

 prove interesting : 



Month. Number of Visitors. 



January 1,905 



February 1,866 



March 1.68&3 



Total 5,454 



Most of these were, of course, casual visitors ; but quite a 

 number came with some well defined object in view, and the 

 members of the Museum staff have been called upon to furnish a 

 variety of information that, at times, is somewhat bewildering. 

 Some of the inquiries are based upon popular myths or supersti- 

 tions in regard to common objects ; but others show a desire for 

 serious information, as for example : " how can I find the Vander- 

 bilt houses, and are they open to visitors ? " ; " how is wood pet- 

 rified or converted into stone?"; "do you know of any old 

 house on the Island with rooms suitable for an artist's studio ? " ; 

 " what was the route followed by Lord Howe and his troops 

 when the British evacuated Staten Island ? " ; " can you recom- 

 mend a good popular work on trees that may be used in field 

 work ? " ; " what is the origin of the name ' Richmond ' as applied 

 to Staten Island? Did it come frcm the Duke of Richmond?"; 

 " what kinds of oak trees have been observed to hybridize on 

 Staten Island and what references are available on the subiect of 

 hybridization between oaks in general ? " ; " what seeds of wild or 

 cultivated flowers would you recommend for growing in large 

 numbers or masses on unimproved property [to render it at- 

 tractive ] ? Also, what creeping plant is best suited to rapidly 

 cover up bare spots ? " ; " what is the range of the yellow fever 

 mosquito and the malarial mosquito ? " ; "I am very desirous of 

 finding all references possible upon the subject of concretions and 

 wish particularly to locate one mentioned in your Proceedings." 



Inquiries in regard to the identity of birds are of almost 

 daily occurrence, and questions relating to local geology are 

 almost as frequently asked. The most earnest students are those 

 who take advantage of our facilities for local historical research 

 in connection with our literature, old maps, pictures, posters, etc. 



Specimens brought in for identification include every 

 department of the Museum, birds and other animals, living and 

 dead, rocks, minerals, metal of various kinds (copper, antimony, 

 pig iron, etc.,) flowers, seeds and other parts of plants, shells, 

 insects, etc., etc. 



We wish that more of our members would visit the Museum 

 and that the membership in general would take advantage of the 

 facilities at their disposal to the same extent as the general pub- 

 lic now does. 



