Annual Eeport.] 213 [May 3, 



be of great service to Natural History. This year the coop- 

 eration has extended no farther than to the delivery of a few 

 lectures in this Lecture Room, upon Zoology, by Dr. S. Knee- 

 land, and a course upon Palaeontology by the Custodian. 



One of the principal items of expense has been the new 

 heating apparatus. The old cast iron boilers were entirely 

 unfitted for their purpose, and great consumers of coal. 

 These, owing to the exertions and management of the Presi- 

 dent and Mr. W. T. Brigham, have been replaced by tubular 

 boilers, and also new heating apparatus throughout the build- 

 ing, which has so far worked satisfactorily. The expense of 

 this change — some four thousand dollars, has borne heavily 

 upon all sections of the Museum. Notwithstanding this, 

 however, a well marked advance in the amount of work done 

 in this division is apparent. 



The appointment of Mr. F. G. Sanborn as Instructor 

 at the Bussey Institution of Harvard University, withdraws 

 him only to a limited extent from his labors here. Two 

 mornings of each week are occupied by the duties of this 

 office, and the proportional deduction which he personally 

 offered to make from his salary, has enabled us, with the 

 addition of a small sum from the general income of the 

 Society, to employ the whole time of another valuable assist- 

 ant, Mr. Philip S. Sprague. Mr. Sanborn's almost constant 

 occupation in the general work of the Museum prevents him 

 to a great extent from paying that constant attention to the 

 Entomological collections which their preservation demands. 



Mr. Sprague, however, who has been at work for two 

 months past, with the aid of the closely fitting boxes recom- 

 mended by Dr. Hagen, will, it is hoped, place this collection 

 out of danger. 



I desire also to draw special attention to the report on 

 Comparative Anatomy. This shows the unusual activity 

 which has prevailed in that department, and the results are 

 highly creditable to the gentlemen who have worked upon 

 the collection. This, and the reports on Mollusca and En- 



