At an early period of the present year the Trustees 

 addressed a memorial to the Legislature, in which 

 reference was made to the benefits which our Institu- 

 tion was designed to confer upon the public, as well 

 as to the cordial interest which is felt in its success by 

 large numbers of our citizens, and asking that the sum 

 of $200,000 be appropriated for equipping and furnish- 

 ing the new fire-proof edifice on Manhattan Square- 

 This measure, receiving the hearty cooperation of his 

 Honor the Mayor and the Comptroller of the City, 

 and of the Commissioners of the Department of Pub- 

 lic Parks, was promptly passed by the Legislature. 



The Commissioners have prepared plans and speci- 

 fications for the cases and all interior constructions, and 

 it is probable that the building will be entirely com- 

 pleted and ready for occupation early next summer. 



Our collections have been enriched by several im- 

 portant purchases and by many generous gifts, the num- 

 ber and value of the latter being unusually large. 



The Department of Anthropology has been increas- 

 ed by the purchase of the Hon. E. G. Squier's rare 

 collection of antiquities, formed during his several 

 years of sojourn and travel in Central and South 

 America ; also in this department, to a former contri- 

 bution is added a new and valuable one by the Hon. 

 Geo. B. Glover, of Shanghai. 



Among the more important additions to our other 

 departments are the following : a unique series of 

 eight mounted and eight unmounted specimens, re- 

 presenting thirteen species, of the Moas or gigantic 

 fossil birds of New Zealand, purchased last year and 

 now placed on exhibition : mummies from Columbia 

 River, presented by Dr. J. Simms, and from Alaska 



