28 Report of the President 



In order to avoid any future misunderstanding, it is desir- 

 able that the proper distribution of maintenance expenses 

 should be determined on principles to be established by the 

 Trustees in consultation with the Comptroller and the Presi- 

 dent of the Department of Parks, subject to ratification by the 

 Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The President has had 

 repeated conferences on this subject with the Comptroller and 

 other representatives of the Board of Estimate and Appor- 

 tionment, and is seeking to secure from the Mayor and the 

 Board of Estimate and Apportionment their judgment and 

 advice as to the future policy of the City in this very important 

 matter of democratic administration. Conferences will also be 

 held with President Somers and other members of the Board 

 of Education. The reduction of the maintenance appropria- 

 tion, together with the urgently needed increases in scientific 

 and administrative salaries and the advance in the costs of all 

 materials purchased by the Museum, increases varying all the 

 way from 20 per cent, to 64 per cent., render necessary the 

 consideration of the future scientific activity of the Museum. 



EXPLORATION, RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION 



Although the field exploration of the Museum was in general 

 suspended until after the war, it was found expedient to con- 

 tinue on a small scale certain explorations in China as well as 

 in various parts of North and South America. The year, how- 

 ever, has been one of the most active in the entire history of 

 the Museum in research and in publication, which was mainly 

 supported through the generous provision of the Morris K. 

 Jesup Fund. 



Mr. Roy C. Andrews sailed for China on June 28 to take up 

 the work of the Second Asiatic Zoological Expe- 



ma dition. Mr. Andrews will make studies and col- 



lections in the Gobi Desert, a region little known to the natu- 

 ralist. 



The Third Asiatic Zoological Expedition left San Francisco 

 on July 27, under the leadership of Mr. Paul J. Rainey, accom- 



