FORTY- SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



To the Trustees and Members of The American Museum of 

 Natural History, and to the Municipal Authorities of the 

 City of New York: 



The President has the honor to submit herewith his ninth 

 annual report, in which he directs attention especially to the 

 very urgent need of enlargement of the building, to the unpre- 

 cedented increase in the public educational work of the 

 Museum, to the growth of the endowment fund, through the 

 Jesup bequest, and to the problems which arise in connection 

 with the scientific exploration and the research work of the 

 institution. The attention of the Trustees and Members is 

 further directed to the very full and interesting reports of the 

 Director, of the Curators of the various scientific departments, 

 of the Secretary and of the Treasurer. 



The Museum faces a crisis in its development which is 

 without precedent since the year 1878, when it became apparent 



XT . r . K that the City was not carrying out its 

 Pressing Need of More . . , . . , . . 



Building Space original agreement to maintain the insti- 



tution. The present crisis is not one of 

 maintenance but of building. In 1878 the Trustees entered 

 into an agreement with the City the substance of which was that 

 the City would erect, equip and maintain the building, while 

 the Trustees would provide the specimens and collections to 

 be contained in the building. The continued support of the 

 Trustees and friends, especially since 1888 when active and 

 world-wide exploration began, has brought together the finest 

 collections in the world, not only of great scientific but of 

 equally great educational value. For many years past the 

 contributions of the City have not been sufficient adequately to 

 house and exhibit this material. No building has been added 

 since the Southwest Wing, which was erected under the law of 

 1905. In the meantime the collections have doubled in extent, 

 and a number of important new departments of education has 

 been opened with special reference to public needs. The 



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