Museum of Natural History. 



Report of the Curator. 



To the Directors and Members of the City Library Association the 

 curator respectfully presents the seventeenth annual report of the 

 Museum of Natural History: — 



At the last annual meeting of the City Library Association was 

 commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Museum 

 of Natural History. 



Public observance of the event began with a reception, which 

 proved to be a delightfully informal social occasion. During the 

 afternoon hundreds of visitors were welcomed to the building by 

 officers of the association and their wives, and tea was served in the 

 Catharine L. Howard Memorial Library, where guests were welcomed 

 by officers of that organization. 



The building was beautifully decorated for the occasion, especially 

 in the Howard room; and by the Springfield Botanical Society there 

 was a choice display of wild flowers. 



Another feature of the celebration was the preparation and dis- 

 tribution of "An Historical Sketch of the Springfield Museum of 

 Natural History." This sketch gives an account of the beginnings 

 and progress of the museum, its present status and purpose, descrip- 

 tions of its various homes, lists of contributors to building and col- 

 lections, v/ith illustrations of the first board of trustees and all of the 

 curators. 



In the evening there was a popular lecture by Mr. A. Radcljrffe 

 Dugmore on "Wild Animals of Africa," to which the public was cor- 

 dially invited. There was a hearty response to this invitation and 

 evidence of appreciation of the interesting tales told and illustrated. 



Resignation of Mr. William Orr. 



With the closing of the first half century in the museum's history 

 terminated the curatorship of Mr. William Orr, who resigned follow- 

 ing his appointment as deputy commissioner for the State Board of 

 Education, which appointment involved a change of residence. 



The progress and development of the museum during Mr. Orr's 

 regime were pronounced, and signify what the City Library Associa- 



