56 Report of the President 



resented by President Somers, Mrs. Ruth F. Russell, and 

 Superintendent Gustave Straubenmuller ; the Museum by 

 President Osborn, Director Lucas, Curator Sherwood and 

 Doctor Fisher ; and Professor Duggan was invited as the rep- 

 resentative of the College of the City of New York. After the 

 luncheon, an inspection was made of the Department of 

 Public Education and the facilities it had for serving the 

 schools. President Somers expressed the opinion that the 

 Board of Education ought not to allow this work to stop and 

 desired a statement of the additional cost of full-time service. 

 By a careful readjustment of duties of the Staff, it was found 

 that full service would cost only an additional $4,100, although 

 the cost of the Department's entire work would be approxi- 

 mately $20,000. Later the Board of Education agreed to pro- 

 vide the $4,100 needed, and full service to schools was resumed 

 on March first. This included the Circulating Nature Study 

 Collections, Lectures at the Museum, Lectures in Local Lec- 

 ture Centers, Lending of Lantern Slides, Education for the 

 Blind, Cooperation with Public Libraries, and Exhibition Hall 

 Instruction for Classes. 



There has been no material change in the character of this 

 work. These teaching collections have been furnished to 

 . . teachers according to their requests. Not only 



Nature Study have the regular nature study sets of birds, in- 

 Collections sects, woods, minerals, etc., been supplied, but 

 frequently special selection of material has been made for 

 some particular need of a school. For example, Indian gar- 

 ments and other objects have been lent for use in giving 

 pageants. As usual, the collections have been delivered by 

 Museum messengers and the schools of the distant Bor- 

 oughs have been especially well supplied. During the year, 

 twenty cases with glass fronts and sides have been con- 

 structed, in which are to be placed small habitat groups, or 

 other exhibits illustrating biological principles more com- 

 pletely than is practicable with specimens which can be 

 handled. These will be added to the circulating series. 



