Report of the President 19 



fund is $252,500, all of which, according to Mr. Jesup's wise 

 intention, must be devoted to exploration, research, scientific 

 discovery and publication, as well as to scientific exhibition. 



Among the pleasant surprises of the year was a gift of $10,- 



000 from Mrs. Russell Sage, which has been added to the 



Special Endowment as the Margaret Olivia Sage 



Gift of Mrs. F un d # i n view of the interest of Mrs. Sage in 

 Russell Sage . . . ? . 



birds and their conservation, the income of this 



fund is set aside for the enrichment of the collection of birds. 



The Trustees have positively decided that the Museum 

 building must be enlarged. At the May meeting of the Board, 



the question was raised whether, in view of 

 Need of Southeast the restricted financial condition of the City, 

 of Ocean Life '* would be expedient to attempt to enlarge 



the Museum through personal donations. 

 On July 18, a conference was held between the President, 

 Mayor Mitchel and Comptroller Prendergast, in which the 

 Comptroller expressed the opinion that it would be impossible 

 to make any appropriations of any kind for building during 

 the remainder of the year 1916, and both officers expressed the 

 opinion that the City would not regard the donation of a build- 

 ing as prejudicing or hindering municipal appropriations in 

 the future. In order to make this agreement a matter of legal 

 record, at Mayor Mitchel's suggestion the following resolution 

 was adopted by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on 

 July 27 : 



Whereas, The Trustees and friends of the American 

 Museum of Natural History, through very large dona- 

 tions, have greatly increased the collections and have 

 strengthened the relations between the Museum and the 

 public schools, the members of the Board of Estimate and 

 Apportionment desire to make public acknowledgment of 

 the service which the Museum has rendered and is render- 

 ing to the City ; and 



Whereas, Ten years have elapsed since the City has 

 added to the building of the American Museum of Natu- 



