6 



The past year lias been one of marked growth and 

 increasing prosperity to the Museum. Twenty thou- 

 sand dollars have been raised to pay off all obliga- 

 tions on the collections, including the rare and artist- 

 ically mounted specimens selected from the extensive 

 property of Madame Verreaux and Madame Verdey, 

 of Paris, and all these valuable collections have been 

 safely received and are now placed on public exhibi- 

 tion. More donations of specimens have been received 

 during the past few months than the three years 

 previous. A list of them, many of Avhich are of 

 high value will be found later in the report. 



To enable the Museum to exhibit these additions, 

 the Department of Public Parks has completed sev- 

 eral new cases on the upper two stories, filling up all 

 the available room, and has also appropriated a part 

 of the lower floor, which will soon be occupied. 



The plans for the new building to be erected, have 

 been completed, and the preparation of the ground 

 is already far advanced. 



The Trustees would express their thanks to the 

 Department, its Architects, and to its Executive Offi- 

 cers on the Park for their uniform courtesy, and the 

 personal interest they have displayed in the success 

 of the institution. 



The Mammals, Birds, and Insects have been so 

 completely arranged by Professor Bickmore and Dr. 

 Holder, as to give the whole exhibition an improved 

 and very attractive character. Mr. Theodore L. Mead 

 is kindly transferring to insect-proof boxes, the Rob- 

 inson collection of Lepidoptera, which has been found 

 to contain twenty thousand specimens, and includes 

 many of his types. 



