THE MUSEOLOGIST 



This little magazine is devoted to the internal affairs of the Museum. It 

 exists for the sake of all the Museum workers, and offers itself as a ready 

 medium through which they may come into closer touch with each other and 

 with the Corporation. 



It is issued by the Publicity Committee. 



Volume I July, 1920 Number 2 



July 19th will mark the eighty-second birthday anni- 

 versar}^ of our honored and beloved Curator of Manmialogy, 

 Dr. Allen. For thirty-five years the head of his Department; 

 he has cUrected its development from its early and hampered 

 beginnings to its present gratifying attainment. 



When Dr. Allen first came to the American Museum, in 

 1885, it was as Curator of the Department of Ornitholog}^ and 

 Mammalogy. At that time the mammal collections consisted 

 of al)out 1,000 mounted sldns and 300 mounted skeletons, 

 all on exliibition. There was not even the nucleus of a stud}" 

 collection. There were about 10,000 mounted skins and 

 several hundi'ed mounted skeletons of birds on exhibition, 

 and a study collection of about 3,000 mounted skins. Very 

 largely through his efforts, the collections, both exhibition 

 and study, have been built up to their present vast propor- 

 tions. 



For his first three years here, Dr. Allen had only casual 

 volunteer assistance. In 1887, moreover, on the death of 

 Dr. Holder, he took over the care of the invertebrates, fishes 

 and reptiles, remaining in charge of the invertebrates until 

 1890, and of the fishes and reptiles until 1901. In 1888, Mr. 

 Frank M. Chapman came to assist him, and at once they 



