20 Report of the President 



The growth of the collections has been so much more rapid 

 than the growth of the building that the Museum still finds 

 itself with its great storerooms on the upper floor over- 

 crowded and with most interesting collections still undis- 

 played. There are, moreover, certain subjects, which will 

 be of very great value in the educational system of the City, 

 that must be provided for in new buildings, especially 

 astronomy, geography, oceanography and ichthyology. In this 

 connection, for convenience of reference, it is important to 

 summarize the appropriations for building from 187 1 to 1909, 

 inclusive: 



Total of Appropriations for Construction Purposes of the 

 American Museum of Natural History, 1 871-1909 



Chapter 290, Laws of 1871 $500,000 



Chapter 315, Laws of 1875 200,000 



Chapter 44, Laws of 1887 400,000 



Chapter 89, Laws of 1889 400,000 



Chapter 423, Laws of 1892 350,000 



Chapter 448, Laws of 1893 50,000 



Chapter 63, Laws of 1894 200,000 



Chapter 235, Laws of 1895 , 500,000 



Chapter 175, Laws of 1896 500,000 



Chapter 213, Laws of 1897 500,000 



Chapter 183, Laws of 1900 350,000 



Ordinance Board of Aldermen, July 22, 1902 200,000 



Ordinance Board of Aldermen, June 16, 1903 188,000 



Ordinance Board of Aldermen, April 11, 1905 500,000 



Ordinance Board of Estimate and Apportionment, 1909. . 100,000 



$4,938,000 



The entire sum, namely, $4,938,000, which has been 

 expended thus far for building, is small compared with that 

 appropriated for other great public buildings in the City, or 

 with the important part which the Museum plays in the 

 educational system of New York, or, again, with the large 

 amount, now aggregating $4,473,507.32, which the citizens of 

 New York have contributed to the endowment, to the collec- 

 tions and to the library of this great institution. 



