Report of the President 39 



steady improvement of the exhibits'in installation and label- 

 ing. The best use of the Museum is that which calls for the 

 least outlay of time on the part of members of the staff, and 

 this is possible only when through their arrangement and 

 labeling the collections speak for themselves and call for no 

 explanation other than can be given by the instructors in 

 charge of the classes. The objects on exhibition are much 

 used by students of drawing and applied art, and the exhibits 

 made by the classes in applied art, Teachers' College, at the 

 Panama-Pacific Exposition, consisted entirely of designs based 

 on a study of aboriginal art as shown in the Museum. 



The use of the Visitors' Room has increased as its oppor- 

 tunities have become known, and during the past year it was 

 used by 19,713 visitors. 



The Synoptic Series of Mammals is beginning to emerge 

 from the clouds of disorder and incompleteness that have so 

 long hung over it and is beginning to assume tangible shape. 

 As noted on the general label, the somewhat ambitious pur- 

 pose of this exhibit is to show the characters of mammals, 

 their principal groups and the relations of these with one 

 another, as well as to illustrate various peculiarities of habits 

 or structure. It has been interesting to note the changing 

 attitude of visitors towards this hall as its condition has 

 changed and improved : from being little visited, it has become 

 very popular, showing that a collection intended primarily for 

 students may be made interesting to the general public. 



"Hard times" still affects the sale of leaflets, though 

 there is a steady demand for the Guide, 3,370 copies of that 

 ■ p . publication having been sold during the year. 



Publications Other items are 2,001 Guide Leaflets, 763 Hand- 

 books and 619 reprints of articles in the American 

 Museum Journal. Post-cards still retain their popularity, and 

 526 sets of fifteen, and 11,688 sets of three were sold, a total 

 of 42,954 cards. One new Handbook, " Dinosaurs," was issued 

 during the year and three new Guide Leaflets besides new 

 editions of "Animals of the Past" and "Our Common 

 Butterflies." 



