1 2 Report of the President. 



make many needed alterations and repairs to the steam and elec- 

 tric lighting plant. 



During previous years no record was kept of the number of 

 school children visiting the Museum. This class of visitors 

 became very noticeable in the early months of the year, and a card 

 system was adopted showing the name or number of the school, 

 whether a public or private school, the grade of the class and 

 number of visitors, and the name of the teacher in charge. Desir- 

 ing to afford these pupils the largest use of the collections, I gave 

 instructions that classes with their teachers should have free 

 admission on every day of the week regardless of the closed days. 

 The results have been very gratifying. 



From the date of the first record, May 20th, to December 31st, 

 2,988 scholars have visited the halls to study the specimens under 

 the supervision and instruction of their teachers ; the latter it. is 

 fair to assume also profited largely by the knowledge acquired. 

 More than half of these scholars came from this city and the 

 remainder from Brooklyn, Newburgh, Whitestone and Staten 

 Island, while fifteen cities and towns in New Jersey contributed 

 638 of the total number. 



Accessions. — A detailed list of accessions is appended in the 

 later pages of this report. Bradford's well-known oil painting of 

 "The Polaris in the Ice at Thank God Harbor," was presented to 

 the Trustees by C. P. Huntington, Esq., and Mrs. Robert Wood- 

 worth presented a marble bust of " Milton "; these gifts are placed 

 in the public reading room of the Library. The Peary Arctic Club 

 of this city has donated a number of valuable specimens collected 

 during the year by Lieut. Robert E. Peary in the Arctic regions, 

 and brought here on the return of the supply vessel sent North 

 during the summer. The American Ethnological Society of this 

 city has permanently deposited its library with the Museum. The 

 library numbers 750 volumes and 270 pamphlets, mostly referring 

 to Ethnology and Archaeology. 



Expeditions. — Each year's work of the Museum in the field of 

 exploration develops the importance of its expeditions in securing 

 valuable material. The following brief summary of the reports of 



