BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 1 83 



Financial Support. The museum receives an optional city appro- 

 priation which amounted in 1909 to $103,905, including $12,000 which 

 was allotted to the Children's Museum. Money appropriated by the 

 city cannot be used for the purchase of specimens, but is devoted to 

 the expense of maintenance. A fund amounting to about $8000 a year 

 is raised for the purchase of specimens, supplemented by special sub- 

 scriptions for special purchases. The interest of the John D. Woodward 

 memorial fund, about $1125, is used for the purchase of paintings by 

 American artists. The Ella C. Woodward fund yields about $1125 

 for purchase of other art objects. The Frederic Loeser fund yields 

 about $450 for the purchase of photographs and casts of famous works 

 of art. The Caroline H. Polhemus fund yields about $400 for the 

 maintenance and increase of the Polhemus collection. The Frank 

 Sherman Benson fund yields about $425 for general additions to the 

 museum collections. About $300 is received from admission fees. 



Building. In 1891 the city was authorized to expend $300,000 

 for the erection of a museum building; work was begun in 1895 and the 

 first section opened in 1897; the second or central section was opened 

 in June, 1907, and the east wing in December, 1907. The cost of the 

 building to date is somewhat over $1,794,000. This represents less 

 than one-fourth of the space to be occupied ultimately; at present 

 there are 68,386 square feet of floor space available for exhibition, and 

 37,000 for offices, workrooms, etc. 



Administration. By a curator-in-chief, responsible to the board 

 of trustees of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences as represented 

 by an executive committee. 



Scope. Research and public instruction are the principal pur- 

 poses of the museum, the latter being the more important activity at 

 present. 



Library. At the beginning of 1909 the library contained 17,298 

 volumes on art and science for the use of both staff and public for 

 reference work only. 



Publications, (i) Science Bulletin; each volume contains about 

 400 pages, 1 volume having been issued at the end of 1909. (2) Mem- 

 oirs of Natural Sciences, 1 part issued. (3) Memoirs of x\rt and Archae- 

 ology, 3 parts issued. (4) Catalogs and guides, 6 issued. (5) Annual 

 Reports, beginning with the year 1904. (6) Museum News, published 

 monthly from October to May, 4 volumes issued. (7) Miscellaneous, 

 3 issued. 



Attendance. Open to the public daily except Sunday from 9 to 

 6; Sunday afternoon from 2 to 6; Thursday evening from 7.30 to 9.45. 



