Report of the President 25 



The various means by which this diffusion is carried on, by 



class work in the Museum, by laboratory work in the schools 



furnished with Museum material, by lectures 



P /^S? System } n fa e Museum and in local lecture centers, by 

 of Diffusion , , , . , _, ■ 



advanced observation courses in the Museum 



exhibition halls, and by the free use of our collection of 20,000 

 lantern slides, are clearly set forth in the report of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Education. Through the nature study collec- 

 tions, 1,118,000 school children have been reached; nearly 

 40,000 lantern slides have been in circulation in the schools, 

 and more than 80,000 pupils have attended our lectures within 

 and without the Museum. Through this extension work the 

 scientific results of expeditions and researches are promptly 

 translated to the schools. Presented in another way, there has 

 been a very marked increase in the practical use of the Mu- 

 seum by visiting classes in both science and art and for pur- 

 poses of technical design. The very slight falling off in total 

 attendance in connection with our educational system is due to 

 the epidemic among the children and also to the withdrawal 

 of nature study courses in certain of the schools. 



STATISTICS OF NUMBERS REACHED BY THE MUSEUM 

 AND ITS EXTENSION EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 



1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 



Board of Education Lectures 52,855 48,119 52,761 41,970 34,421 



Lectures to School Children 

 and Classes visiting the Mu- 

 seum for Study 49.872 56,899 65,785* 61,437 58,842 



Meetings of Scientific So- 

 cieties and Other Meetings 

 and Lectures 28,384 33.357 32,939 22,542 28,495 



Total 131,1" 138,375 151,485 125,949 121,758 



Attendance in Exhibition 



Halls 715.852 728,288 657,458 794,139 725.917 



Total Attendance for all Pur- 

 poses 846,963 866,663 808,943 920,088 847,675 



Lectures to Pupils in Local 



Centers 32,800 37,400 



Numbers reached by Circu- 

 lating Collections 1,275,890 1,378,599 1.273.853 1,238,581 1,118,322 



Grand Total 2,122,853 2,245,262 2,082,796 2,191,469 2,003,397 



* Includes pupils, estimated at 15,000, attending lectures in the Local Centers. 



II 



