54 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Feb. 



[D.J 



EEPOET 



Of the Committee on ike Museum, 'presented to the Board of Trustees 



in October, 1860. 



By a statement of the Treasurer, dated October 1, 1860, it appears 

 that there remains in his hands an unexpended balance of two thou- 

 sand seven hundred and eleven dollars and eleven cents, and a sub- 

 scription of five hundred dollars not yet collected, because the 

 gentleman who made it is out of the country. The whole amounts 

 to $3,211.11, and that sum is not only over and above all expenses 

 heretofore incurred under the orders of this Board, but over and 

 above all appropriations made by it, which are yet to be satisfied. It 

 is therefore a sum of money which remains absolutely at the disposi- 

 tion of the Trustees, and it is all that so remains. 



On this sum, however, one claim already exists. By the fourth 

 clause of the Agreement between the President and Fellows of Har- 

 vard College and the Trustees of the Museum, it is provided, That 

 the duty of taking care of the buildings and causing them to be kept 

 in repair shall devolve upon and be vested in the Trustees ; this duty 

 including, as your Committee understand, heating the premises in 

 question that need it in winter, and otherwise caring for them, and 

 protecting the collections they may contain. 



Slight repairs, or changes and alterations, have already been needed 

 and paid for. Others will, in all probability, be required, and reme- 

 dies may be demanded for imperfections not yet known to exist. 



Besides this claim under a contract, other claims may arise, which, 

 as long as they have resources left at their disposal, the Trustees may 

 feel hardly less bound to satisfy, — some already foreseen, others prob- 

 able. The amount remaining in hand is not, however, greater than 

 will be soon needed, with whatsoever economy it may be adminis- 

 tered ; and yet the Trustees feel bound to reserve a portion of it, lest 

 they should want it to satisfy their contract with the President and 

 Fellows of the College, before other funds come into their hands. 



Under these circumstances, your Committee recommend that no 



