1867.] SENATE— No. 52. 9 



extension and its aims. Under the circumstances, it seemed 

 best to propose the erection of a small part of such a build- 

 ing as would be necessary for a great Museum, and to apply 

 the larger part of our resources to the increase of the collec- 

 tions and the internal improvement of the institution. This 

 policy was sanctioned by the Board of Trustees, and the conse- 

 quence is that our building is now full to overflowing ; 

 part of the rooms which might have been made exhibition 

 rooms, are for the present transformed into storerooms, — 

 and by far the largest and most important portions of our 

 collections are packed away in barrels and boxes, — render- 

 ing the use of specimens for study very laborious, nay, almost 

 impossible, owing to the loss of time in finding what is wanted. 

 In fact, the whole Museum is now rather a store-house, than a 

 well arranged scientific collection. 



Such a result may seem to show bad management, and 

 might be fairly criticized, had our primary object been that of 

 forming a museum for public exhibition and display. But the 

 tacit understanding of all those concerned in its foundation, 

 has been to aim at the building up of a scientific institution, 

 which should rival the most extensive establishments of that 

 kind in Europe. Viewed in that light, the immense accumu- 

 lation of material now stored up in our building may be con- 

 sidered not only as a great scientific fortune fully realized and 

 our own, but even as a source of ever increasing scientific wealth, 

 if we succeed in preserving the whole and making it available 

 for exchanges. At present, it is like an immense capital lying 

 unused, and we lack the means to put it out at interest, to 

 distribute our riches and make their value felt. 



The difficulty inherent in the management of so large an 

 estate with insufficient income, had suggested to me the pro- 

 priety of resigning the trust into younger and more active 

 hands ; but I find that by so doing I could not change the exist- 

 ing state of things, and I therefore propose to retain my present 

 duties and obligations in the Museum till better times come. 



Permit me now, summarily, to state what are our chief pos- 

 sessions. In the present state of the collections, it would be 

 hardly possible to give a just estimate of the number of species 

 from the different classes of the animal kingdom contained in 

 them, still less to enumerate the specimens. The collections 



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