Report of the President 33 



in the United States and abroad. Inasmuch as our Depart- 

 ment of Public Health is the youngest of our departments, 

 the attention of the Trustees and Members is directed 

 especially to Curator Winslow's report on page 82. 



MEMBERSHIP AND STAFF 



During the year the Museum has suffered the loss of three 

 of its early scientific advisers: Daniel Giraud Elliot, Charles 

 F. Holder and Frederic Ward Putnam. 



Doctor Elliot's death occurred in New York City on 

 December 22. Doctor Elliot shares with the late Professor 

 Albert S. Bickmore the honor of being one of the two scien- 

 tific founders of The American Museum of Natural History. 

 The original collection of birds belonging to Doctor Elliot 

 was the nucleus of the Museum's later riches (it was the first 

 material of any kind that the Museum obtained), and his pur- 

 chases and gifts laid the foundation of the great department 

 of mammals and birds. At the time of the foundation of the 

 Museum, he was the best-equipped and practically the only 

 man in New York City to give advice in scientific matters 

 relating to the institution. Professor Bickmore conceived the 

 idea of the Museum; he gave his effort to create interest in 

 the plans and to raise funds to carry them out, but he came 

 to Doctor Elliot for advice involving scientific knowledge. 

 In 1869 Doctor Elliot went abroad for study but also with 

 a commission from the Trustees to purchase material for the 

 Museum, and he obtained some notable collections. Some 

 years after his return he presented his collection of humming 

 birds, obtained during his stay in Europe, and at about 

 the same time the Museum gained his library of ornithology. 

 Doctor Elliot traveled in connection with his work more 

 than most naturalists. In 1894 he went to the Field 

 Museum of Natural History (Chicago) as head of the Depart- 

 ment of Zoology. In 1906 he began the preparation of his 

 recently published "Review of the Primates." In connection 

 with the researches for this publication, he. made a world-tour 

 in 1907-1909. After reaching the United States he came to the 

 American Museum to devote himself to the research in hand. 

 He later went again to Europe for further study in this con- 



