FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 

 1883. 



The Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History 

 herewith present their Fifteenth Annual Report, to the Patrons, 

 Fellows and Members of the Museum. 



The Treasurer's Report shows a gratifying increase in receipts 

 from Life and Annual Members, and from Special Contributions 

 other than those from the Trustees, thus relieving the Board of a 

 part of the heavy expenditures for maintaining the Museum dur- 

 ing the year. 



A considerable increase in the number of visitors to the Museum 

 is also a cause for congratulation. 



The work on the improvements to the grounds surrounding the 

 Museum shows satisfactory progress and signs of early completion. 

 For this we are indebted to the kind cooperation of the Depart- 

 ment of Parks. 



By the operations of the contract entered into a year ago for 

 the purchase of all the birds and mammals necessary to complete 

 the Collections of the Museum, north of the Rio Grande, over 

 eighty American mammals and one hundred birds have been 

 added to the Collections during the year. There were also added 

 fine specimens of the Gorilla and Chimpanzee, with some fifty 

 other monkeys from all parts of the world. 



The Skeleton of a Whale, given to the Museum some years ago 

 by the late Peter Cooper, has also been placed on exhibition for 

 the first time. 



Guides to the Collections of birds and mammals have been 

 prepared and placed on sale, and many have availed themselves 

 of this means to study the Collections. 



Dr. Edgar A. Mearns has made a large donation of skins of 

 North American and European birds, and their eggs, which sup- 

 plements in an important degree our series on exhibition. He 

 has also given a suite of the skins of our native birds, as the 



