﻿Report 
  of 
  the 
  President. 
  2 
  1 
  

  

  We 
  now 
  turn 
  from 
  this 
  retrospect 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  administration 
  

   to 
  the 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  past 
  year. 
  

  

  I. 
  ADMINISTRATION, 
  BUILDING, 
  EDUCATION. 
  

  

  Administration. 
  — 
  Perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  change 
  in 
  

   the 
  administration 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  abolition 
  of 
  

   pay-days 
  and 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  exhibition 
  halls 
  free 
  to 
  the 
  

   public 
  every 
  day 
  i?i 
  the 
  year. 
  Since 
  the 
  founding 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  

   — 
  now 
  nearly 
  forty 
  years 
  ago 
  — 
  certain 
  days 
  each 
  week 
  have 
  

   been 
  reserved 
  for 
  Members, 
  pupils 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  schools, 
  

   special 
  students 
  and 
  artists. 
  While 
  this 
  reservation 
  was 
  justi- 
  

   fiable 
  when 
  the 
  Museum 
  was 
  smaller, 
  we 
  should 
  not 
  forget 
  

   that 
  the 
  Museum 
  is 
  a 
  municipal 
  institution, 
  it 
  is 
  primarily 
  for 
  

   the 
  public, 
  and 
  any 
  regulation 
  which 
  interferes 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  

   enjoyment 
  of 
  its 
  privileges 
  is 
  contrary 
  to 
  the 
  spirit 
  of 
  its 
  

   founders 
  and 
  opposed 
  to 
  the 
  wishes 
  of 
  its 
  supporters. 
  

  

  This 
  action 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  step 
  would 
  

   meet 
  with 
  the 
  emphatic 
  approval 
  of 
  our 
  Members, 
  for 
  we 
  were 
  

   convinced 
  that 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  contributed 
  and 
  are 
  contribut- 
  

   ing 
  towards 
  the 
  support 
  of 
  this 
  institution 
  are 
  not 
  actuated 
  by 
  

   selfish 
  motives; 
  they 
  contribute 
  because 
  they 
  believe 
  in 
  the 
  

   work 
  that 
  the 
  Museum 
  is 
  doing 
  and 
  because 
  they 
  derive 
  pleas- 
  

   ure 
  from 
  being 
  associated 
  with 
  it. 
  Only 
  words 
  of 
  approval 
  

   have 
  been 
  received. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  gratifying 
  to 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  cordial 
  

   relations 
  existing 
  between 
  the 
  American 
  Museum 
  and 
  sister 
  

   institutions 
  at 
  home 
  and 
  abroad. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  the 
  Museum 
  

   participated 
  in 
  a 
  celebration 
  commemorating 
  the 
  200th 
  anni- 
  

   versary 
  of 
  the 
  birth 
  of 
  Linnaeus. 
  In 
  August 
  it 
  entertained 
  the 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  Seventh 
  International 
  Congress 
  of 
  Zoology, 
  

   among 
  whom 
  were 
  representatives 
  of 
  many 
  leading 
  institutions 
  

   of 
  the 
  old 
  and 
  new 
  worlds. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  Director 
  made 
  two 
  trips 
  abroad 
  for 
  

   the 
  purpose 
  of 
  arranging 
  with 
  other 
  institutions 
  for 
  exchanges 
  

   and 
  purchases. 
  His 
  visits 
  have 
  materially 
  strengthened 
  the 
  

   cordial 
  relations 
  existing 
  between 
  the 
  Museum 
  and 
  scientific 
  

   societies 
  in 
  Europe. 
  

  

  