11 



Mineralogical Collection. — There has been several im- 

 portant additions to this collection during the year, principally 

 by purchase, mostly of prominent or attractive specimens. There 

 is yet a need of many more large and attractive specimens, in order 

 to make it what it should be for a public exhibition collection. 



Conchological Collection. — Good progress has been made 

 in labeling this collection. Nearly all specimens on exhibition 

 have been provided with labels, and most of those not so provided 

 are determined and only awaiting the writing of labels. The 

 collection is yet to be numbered and recatalogued, and some 

 undetermined species identified. It now presents a very good 

 appearance, and bids to be a very useful collection, judging from 

 the number of persons seen identifying shells from it. 



Want of Space. — The lack of space for exhibition in the two 

 last-named collections becomes constantly more apparent and 

 pressing, and also to a great extent in the Palaeontological collec- 

 tion. Of this latter collection several hundred types and figured 

 specimens, lately received from Albany, a part of the Hall collec- 

 tion, is at present stored in drawers in the Attic until other 

 specimens now in the cases can be removed to make room for 

 them. 



Economic Collection. — A large amount of material per- 

 taining to this collection, consisting of building stones, etc., now 

 on hand, remains in boxes, or is otherwise stored away and out 

 of sight for want of space to exhibit it, while that now ranged 

 along the stairs and in the passage ways is constantly being 

 injured for the same reason. 



Use of the Collections by Visitors and Students. — The 

 constant increase of interest in, and use of the collections in the 

 department by visitors, and particularly by students, is one of the 

 noticeable features of the halls. To find people in the rooms 

 with text books, peering into the cases, is an almost daily sight, 

 while numbers are often seen with note books and specimens, 

 making comparisons and copying labels. As the labeling pro- 

 gresses this feature is the more and more noticeable, and the 

 number of young people and teachers who bring specimens for 

 identification and criticism is constantly on the increase. In fact, 

 it is frequently the case on Saturdays that half of the day is occu- 

 pied in giving information in this way to visitors for this especial 

 purpose. This, I think, is one of the strongest evidences of the 

 growing use of the Museum and its collections, and must in time 

 create a greater interest in the objects of the institution and sym- 

 pathy with its purposes. There is, however, one very important 

 need of the collections in this department, in the direction of 

 Vertebrate Palceontology, remains of large fishes, reptiles and 

 mammals, a want which ought to be supplied with every oppor- 



