REPORT of the 

 PROVINCIAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



FOE, THE YEAR 1920. 



OBJECTS. 



(a.) To secure and preserve specimens illustrating the natural history of the Province. 

 (6.) To collect anthropological material relating to the aboriginal races of the Province. 

 (c.) To obtain information respecting the natural sciences, relating particularly to the 

 natural history of the Province, and diffuse knowledge regarding the same. 



ADMISSION. 



The Provincial Museum is open, free, to the public daily throughout the year from 9 a.m. to 

 5 p.m. (except New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Christmas Day) ; it is also open on Sunday 

 afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1st until the end of October. 



VISITORS. 



The number of visitors who have signed the register of the Provincial Museum during the 

 year 1920 is 25,850. These figures are by no means accurate, as this only includes one person 

 to a line, although many signatures on one line include man, wife, and family. Many other 

 people visiting the Museum do not seem to like the idea of recording their names, and no record 

 has been kept of the children, and also of school classes who are accompanied by their teachers 

 in connection with their nature-studies. If a turnstyle were fo be installed we would then be 

 able to record the actual number of attendance daily in the museum. The following figures 

 will give some idea of those who recorded their names during the months of : January, 1,093 ; 

 February, 1,289; March, 1,348; April, 1,603; May, 1,839; June, 2,287; July, 4,538; August, 

 5,607 ; September, 2,838 ; October, 1,367 ; November, 1,028 ; December, 1,023. 



ACTIVITIES. 



There have been added eighteen ornithological storage (moth-proof) cases to take care 

 of the study series of bird-skins which are stored in the annex, also two walnut, plate-glass 

 exhibition cases for the entomological section. 



The Public Works Department has begun excavating the basement in the Provincial Museum, 

 and when this is completed all the valuable study material, ornithological, anthropological, and 

 mammals, which are stored in the wooden annex at the rear, will be removed and placed in the 

 basement, which will be practically free from danger of fire and from probable loss in other ways. 



Many applications have been made from teachers throughout the Province for scientific 

 literature to assist them in teaching nature-studies to their pupils. It has been impossible for 

 the Director to supply the same; the only literature we have on hand are the Annual Reports, 

 in which the scientific research-work is noted throughout the year. 



During the year the Herbarium has been greatly enriched by a large number of specimens 

 added, which were mentioned in last year's report in the botanical section. 



By an agreement between the Director of this Department and Mr. R. G. McConuell, Deputy 

 Minister of the Geological Survey, Ottawa, the collection of Cryptograms made by Professor 

 John Macoun were to be taken over by this Department for storage and safe-keeping, and a 

 division of the same was to be made between the Geological Survey and the Provincial Museum. 

 The division of these specimens has now been completed, and the collection of the Provincial 

 Museum has been enriched by over 4,000 specimens which were collected by Professor John 

 Macoun and named by himself and other authorities. These specimens have now been catalogued 

 and added to the collection, the balance having been turned over to the Geological Survey, Ottawa. 



The manuscript for the Check-list of the Flora of Vancouver Island is being completed and 

 it is hoped to have it in the printer's hands within the next few weeks. Iu this work we have 

 been greatly assisted by the late Frofessor Macoun and his son, the late J. M. Macoun. 



