FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



To the Trustees and Members of The American Museum of 

 Natural History, and to the Municipal Authorities of the 

 City of New York : 



The President has the honor to submit herewith his sixth 

 annual report and briefly to call attention to the salient 

 features which have marked the year 19 12. The detailed 

 activities and growth of the several departments will be found 

 in the reports by the Director, the Curators and the Officers in 

 charge of the scientific and financial administration included 

 in this Report. 



The progress of the Museum is in large measure due to the 

 liberal contributions of Trustees and other Members, which 

 exceed those of any previous year; it is in still larger measure 

 due to the spirit of devotion to the institution which ani- 

 mates all the members of our scientific and administrative staffs 

 and even characterizes the workers of all classes throughout 

 the Museum. The members of the Scientific Staff who are 

 carrying on explorations in different parts of the world, are 

 extending the name of the American Museum and creating 

 world-wide interest in its undertakings. 



The Museum Journal has been the means of informing our 

 Members from month to month both of the progress of 

 exploration and discovery and of the presentation in the 

 exhibition halls of the results of field work. The articles are 

 first offered to the newspapers, which are showing a constantly 

 increasing desire to present authoritative accounts of the 

 activities of the Museum. Public education in science, which 

 is one of our first objects, is, perhaps, furthered in this 

 manner as rapidly as in any other, because a vast, intelligent 

 and eager audience is reached through the public press. 



Although the location of the Museum is still far from the 

 center of population, the attendance of the year was. 846,963, 

 an increase of 122,822 over the figures for 191 1. The general 

 lectures were attended by 80,249 persons; the children's 



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