BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 19 



tions representing the Indian tribes of the Pacific coast. There is also 

 a collection of well selected material from Africa, India, China, Thibet, 

 South Pacific Islands, and the Philippines. 



Geology and Paleontology. 500 selected minerals and a small 

 collection of fossils. 



History, iooo articles illustrating the husbandry, manufactures, 

 arts, social customs, and home life of the early colonies and pioneer 

 settlers. This collection is large and comprehensive. Four large 

 rooms in the new annex have been specially prepared to accommodate 

 it, as follows: old-time kitchen and living room, with huge fireplace; 

 bedroom with complete equipment; weaving room; and large room for 

 antiquities in general. These rooms are all low-posted, with heavy 

 beam effect and small old-fashioned windows. All designed after 

 colonial interiors in the East. 



Numismatics. A collection of coins and currency representing 

 almost every country on the globe. 



Zoology. A small collection of carefully selected butterflies, 

 moths, and insects; a collection of shells, corals, and other marine 

 objects; and a bird collection, comprising 400 mounted specimens, 

 200 skins, and 3000 eggs. 



Historical Sketch. The nucleus of the museum is the Bryant 

 ornithological collection, which was purchased by private subscrip- 

 tion and presented to the city in 1907. Subsequently the Rabe, 

 Daggett, and Wilcomb collections were purchased, and in 1909 the 

 museum was formally placed under the direction of the board of 

 trustees of the Oakland Free Library. The collections were installed 

 in the Josiah Stanford mansion, on the western shore of Lake Mer- 

 ritt, and C. P. Wilcomb was elected curator. 



Financial Support. The museum receives its entire support 

 from the city of Oakland, which has appropriated $10,000 for mainte- 

 nance during the current fiscal year, with a special appropriation of 

 about $5000 for improvements and additions to the building. Oakland 

 has a population of 200,000, an assessed tax value of $105,000,000, 

 and a tax rate of $1.20. 



Building. Formerly a large residence belonging to the Stanford 

 estate on the western shore of Lake Merritt. The land was recently 

 purchased by the city for park purposes and the building has been 

 thoroughly renovated and an addition of seven rooms erected. The 

 building affords about 4700 square feet of floor space available for 

 exhibition purposes, and 1000 for offices, workrooms, and store- 

 rooms. 



