BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 149 



GRAND RAPIDS: 



KENT SCIENTIFIC MUSEUM. 



Staff. Director, Herbert E. Sargent; Assistant director, Edwin 

 R. Kalmbach; Secretary, Lena E. Baker; Assistants, E. S. Holmes 

 and Helen B. Allen; 1 janitor and engineer, and 1 printer (part time). 



Anthropology. Uncivilized peoples, native, 3ooo± ; Civilized 

 peoples, ancient, 100 (Egyptian antiquities), modern, 700 specimens. 



Art. Ceramics, 400 specimens. 



Botany. Herbaria, 45oo± specimens; Display bottles of seeds 

 and grains, 300; Miscellaneous, 5oo±; Forestry, native woods, 350-i, 

 foreign woods (mostly West Indian and South American), 2oo±. 



Geology. Minerals, on exhibition, 3610, in storage, large quanti- 

 ties ; Rocks, on exhibition, 230. There are many fine cabinet specimens 

 of Grand Rapids gypsum and calcites, and Joplin, Missouri, sphalerites, 

 dolomites, and calcites for exchange. 



Numismatics. 1500 specimens. 



Paleontology. Invertebrates, 2170; Vertebrates, 20, including 

 type specimens of Bother ium sargenti; Plants, 300. The collections 

 include the skeleton of a mastodon from Florida, restored and mounted, 

 and a mastodon from Michigan in process of restoration. 



Zoology. Shells, on exhibition, 2000 species, in storage, 5675; 

 Insects, 4030; Other invertebrates, 1525; Fishes, 40; Reptiles, 40; 

 Birds, on exhibition, 750, in storage, 3000; Mammals, 30; Bird eggs 

 and nests, 600. These collections include a mounted specimen of a 

 70 foot whale; the Steere collection of Philippine corals, comprising 

 1000 specimens, said to be the most complete collection of Philippine 

 corals in the United States; and the E. Crofton Fox collection of 

 Bahama sponges. 



Historical Sketch. The transfer of the collections of the Kent 

 Scientific Institute to the board of education constituted the beginning 

 of the present museum. During the year 1902 these collections, 

 together with several others acquired by purchase, were displayed 

 in the audience hall of the Central High School. The present museum 

 building was opened to the public on January 7, 1904. 



Financial Support. By an appropriation from city council, the 

 amount being fixed from year to year, and by gifts from interested 

 friends. The last city appropriation was $6774. 



Building. Erected in 1870, purchased by the city at a cost of 

 -$40,000, and adapted to museum purposes in 1903. It affords 11,000 

 square feet of floor space for exhibition, and 2500 for offices, 

 workrooms, etc. 



