BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 137 



Botany. Cryptogams, 116 species; Phanerogams, 1028 species. 

 There are also economic collections including 323 specimens of Indian 

 corn (maize) and its products; 405 specimens of fiber plants and fibers; 

 659 specimens of woods; 200 kinds of insect galls, of which about 90 

 are figured in a bulletin of the museum. 



Geology. Minerals, on exhibition, 1326, in storage, 9000 ±; 

 Rocks, in storage, 240; Relief maps, models, etc., 7. There are 650 

 specimens of dynamic geology and a local collection of 346 minerals 

 and 175 rocks. 



History. A collection of about 900 articles relating to the history 

 of the United States and especially to Springfield and vicinity. There 

 is also a special exhibit of about 400 objects relating to colonial history, 

 and a general collection of 5000 coins and medals. 



Paleontology. Invertebrates, on exhibition, i5o±, in storage, 

 450+ : Vertebrates, on exhibition, 30, in storage, 20; Plants, on exhi- 

 bition, 50, in storage, 150. 



Zoology. Shells, on exhibition, 3oo±, in storage, 15001L; Insects, 

 on exhibition, 6oo±, in storage, 3oo±; Other invertebrates, on exhibi- 

 tion, 51, in storage, ioo±; Fishes, on exhibition, 7, in storage, 8o±; 

 Batrachians, on exhibition, 1, in storage, 2o±; Reptiles, on exhibition, 

 10, in storage, 6o±; Birds, on exhibition, 8oo±, in storage, 6oo±; 

 Mammals, on exhibition, 92, in storage, 75±. These figures include 

 some morphological specimens and a collection of 262 foreign birds 

 largely from India; there is in addition a collection of 45o± species of 

 bird eggs. There are 5 large and 15 small groups of animals exhibited 

 in natural surroundings; the best of these are the bison, elk, and flamin- 

 go groups. 



Historical Sketch. The museum was organized in 1859 as a 

 branch of the Cuy Library Association and until 187 1 occupied a room 

 in the city hall. Upon the removal of the library to its new building 

 on State Street in 1871, the museum was assigned a room on the lower 

 floor, where it remained until 1895, when it was given quarters on the 

 lower floor of the newly erected Art Museum. In 1898 the rapidly 

 growing collections necessitated the erection of a building exclusively 

 for the museum. 



Financial Support. The City Library Association derives its 

 income from invested funds, from city appropriation, and from the 

 dog tax; this income is used in no specified proportion for maintenance 

 of the Library, Art Museum, and Museum of Natural History. 



Building. Erected in 1899 at a cost of $30,000 raised by sub- 

 scription, the building affords 5720 square feet of floor space for exhi- 

 bition, and 1000 for offices, workrooms, and storage. 



