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Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF MUSEUM. 



Cincinnati, April 3, 1894. 



Officers and Members of the Cincinnati Society of 

 Natural History. 



Ladies and Gentlemen — In the preparation of this, the sec- 

 ond annual report of the undersigned, as Director of the 

 Museum, it is evident that a different class of work has been 

 in hand during the last twelve months, than the previous 

 year, although the same end has always been before us — to 

 keep the property of the Society free from the ravages of dirt 

 and dermestes, and to place and classify the various collec- 

 tions, so as to be more available to the student. 



The large collections of minerals have been combined and 

 classified — a long stride toward a final arrangement of the 

 specimens into a carefully-labeled, systematic series. 



The plaster casts of the mastodon, glyptodon, and dinothe- 

 rium have been repaired, so as to be more presentable. The 

 curiosity of the casual visitor to the Museum is evidently 

 highly developed, the free use of pen-knives, umbrellas, and 

 canes in former years, being manifest in the different depart- 

 ments. Especially was it true of these casts, which w T ere not 

 only chipped, but broken by these various instruments of 

 destruction. 



The library has been the especial care of the year. The 

 bound volumes having been classified and arranged, while the 

 pamphlets have been carefully sorted, preparatory to binding. 

 The exchange list has been changed to some extent by the 

 addition of new and valuable publications, and the discontin- 

 uance of some that were of no value to us. A full list of the 

 exchanges and correspondents is attached hereto and made a 

 part of this report. 



The thirteenth course of free scientific lectures is now in 

 progress, seven having been delivered, the three remaining 

 being announced for this month and next. The attendance 



