so popular that the applications for seats were greatly in 
excess of the capacity of the auditorium, and in a few in- 
stances lectures were repeated in order to relieve the disap- 
pointment of teachers and children. 
In addition to these regular lectures, many special lectures 
were given to classes from the elementary and high schools. 
Increasing numbers of teachers have used the lantern slides 
and class rooms, and it is a common occurrence to see 
pupils busily studying the bird groups or insects with note- 
book and pencil. The number utilizing the Museum in this 
way is registered as 10,248. 
The increase in the attendance at the children’s lectures 
is gratifying, but in this connection new difficulties of trans- 
portation have been brought to light. The fact that the 
journey to the Museum makes many of the pupils car-sick, so 
unused are they to travel, the severe tax on the energy of the 
teachers and the cost of transportation have raised the ques- 
tion of arranging for lectures at school centers. While this 
cannot be done at present, owing to the many demands 
already made on our staff, the desirability of such a plan is 
apparent. 
Through the generosity of Henry Phipps, there was placed 
at the disposal of the department a fund with which to pay the 
car fare of children who otherwise could not afford a trip to 
the Museum. This money has been expended in the interests 
of the crippled children and the special classes in the public 
schools. On December 16, 366 crippled children were brought 
to the Museum and listened with genuine interest to African 
jungle stories told by Carl E. Akeley. These were illustrated 
by lantern slides and motion pictures and the children 
thoroughly enjoyed them. This large number of children, 
many of whom could not even walk, were transported from 
the schools to the Museum and returned to their homes with- 
out accident. 
The second lecture was for the special classes of Districts 
Nos. ro and 11, which cover part of the congested portion of 
the lower west side. These classes are composed of children, 
chiefly of foreign parentage, who have not received sufficient 
education to secure ‘‘ working papers’”’ and who cannot afford 
Io 
