HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 



Mrs. M. Schuyler Elliot. It consisted of 9,500 volumes and 3,500 pamph- 

 lets on insects, fishes, birds, general zoology, geography, and history. 



Edwards. The Harry Edwards entomological library of 500 volumes and 



1,200 pamphlets was received with the Edwards Collection of butter- 

 flies, which was acquired in 1892, partly through the generosity of 

 friends of Mr. Edwards. 



Marcou. The Marcou collection of works on geology was presented to the 



Museum in 1898 by Mr. John Belknap Marcou and Dr. Philippe Marcou. 

 It was brought together by Professor Jules Marcou, an eminent au- 

 thority on geology, and comprises about 3,000 volumes, 5,000 pamph- 

 lets and 1,200 maps. It had the distinction of being, with one ex- 

 ception, the largest private library of geology and palaeontology in 

 America. 



Vieie. A collection of 1,200 volumes, 960 numbers of serial publications, 



1,833 pamphlets and 66 valuable maps were presented in 1900 by 

 General Egbert Viele. To this gift he later added 676 volumes and a 

 number of pamphlets. 



Over 200 volumes on conchology were given by Mr. Frederick A. 

 Constable in 1901. 



Following the reorganization of the Library Staff the books on 

 hand were catalogued and made available for reference. The Library 

 was extended through subscriptions to the important scientific periodi- 

 cals, through exchange, and through purchase. The New York 

 Academy of Natural Sciences deposited its library with the Museum 

 Library in 1905 under arrangements which permitted of the merging of 

 the two. This library numbers about 10,000 volumes and is especially 

 rich in the publications of foreign societies, a branch of scientific 

 literature which had been but poorly represented in the Museum. 

 Following the example of the New York Academy other scientific 

 bodies have presented or deposited their libraries with the Museum, 

 so that at the present time the Museum's Library is the recognized 

 center in the City for publications on natural science. 



Exchanges. Special attention was given to the matter of exchanges, and with 



the publications of the Academy of Sciences in addition to the large 



[120] 



Constable. 



New York 

 Academy of 

 Sciences. 



