F 6 Provincial Museum Report. 1915 



During the year the Department was requested by the Minister of Agriculture to super- 

 vise a collection of big-game trophies for the Department of Agriculture, to be exhibited by 

 their Exhibition Branch at the Panama Exposition. These have now all been prepared, and 

 the Museum has loaned through Mr. W. E. Scott, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, several 

 mounted mammals. Taking the collection all through, it will make a very creditable showing 

 of the big game of this Province. 



The total number of additions to the Museum collections during 1914 are as follows : 

 Birds, 537: eggs and nests, 110; mammals, 171; botanical, 936; entomological, 2,450: 

 fishes, 15; reptilia (including batrachians), 31; crustaceans, 1; shells, 3; fossils, 10: 

 anthropological, 176. 



It was very gratifying to note the interest taken by the school-teachers of the Province 

 who attended the Summer School of Industrial Education held in Victoria in their natural- 

 history studies. At the request of Mr. Deane, of the Education Department, the Director 

 arranged with Dr. C. F. Newcombe to give three lectures in the Provincial Museum on Indian 

 designs and arts. The lectures were well attended and the teachers seemed to take great 

 interest. These lectures were illustrated by charts and drawings prepared by Dr. Newcombe. 

 The Director also gave a lecture on the fauna of the Province, illustrated by lantern-slides, in 

 the George Jay School, which was well attended, and I hope proved instructive to those 

 present. The different classes in connection with this school attended the Museum and were 

 conducted over the collections personally. 



Under the present system there is no way of accurately recording the attendance of 

 visitors at the Museum. Only a very small proportion of visitors register their names. Durir.g 

 the past year the Director inaugurated a new system whereby the guard in the hall of the 

 Museum checks all parcels, umbrellas, etc., carried by visitors, and also requests that thev 

 sign the register ; but it must not be forgotten that a great number of visitors are unable to 

 sign, being Orientals, or natives of this Province. 



It is proposed during the year 1915 to publish a new check-list of the birds of British 

 Columbia, as it is now some eight or nine years since the last check-list was published. A vast 

 amount of valuable data has been accumulated in regard to the distribution of the birds of 

 the Province, a number of species and subspecies new to the Province having been recorded. 

 Numbers of these specimens have been forwarded to Washington for specific identification. 

 The Provincial Museum collection being only a representative collection of the Province of 

 British Columbia, it is impossible to work out the exact subspecies, not having a representative 

 collection of North America. It is also proposed to compile a preliminary check-list of the 

 fishes, also the Lepidoptera of British Columbia. 



During 1915 the Director hopes to be able to do a limited amount of work in the studv of 

 marine biology, but the Department is handicapped by not having a suitable vessel to under- 

 take a systematic dredging along the Coast. The proposed work will have to be done at low 

 tide with the aid of a small boat. 



The Provincial Museum is indebted to Mr. H. C. Henshaw, Mr. E. Nelson, and Mr. H. 

 C. Oberholser, of the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., for 

 identification of a collection of bird and mammal skins sent them for examination and 

 comparison ; also to the following gentlemen who have generously assisted in the identification 

 of various entomological material : Mr. E. H. Blackmore, of Victoria ; Mr. L. W. Swett, of 

 Boston, Mass. ; Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough, of Decatur, 111. ; Prefessor Raymond C. 

 Osburn, of Columbia University ; Professor H. S. Hine, of Columbia ; Dr. L. O. Howard, 

 Messrs. J. C. Crawford and E. A. Schwartz, of the United States National Museum, Washing- 

 ton, D.C. ; and Mr. F. Wolley Dod, of Alberta. 



Thanks are also due to the following persons for their aid in securing and keeping records 

 of the birds in their migration in this Province : Messrs. J. A. Munro and Allan Brooks, of 

 Okanagan Landing ; C. deB. Green, of Masset ; Dr. J. E. H. Kelso, of Edgewood, Lower 

 Arrow Lakes ; W. R. Carter, of Alberni ; A. H. Palmer, Vancouver District ; and W. A. 

 Newcombe, in the Lillooet District. 



Annexed will be found a complete list of specimens secured during the year. 



I have the honour to be, 

 Sir, 

 Tour obedient servant, 



FRANCIS KERMODE, 



Director. 



