Museum of Natural History. 



Report of the Curator, 



To the Members of the City Library Association the curator 

 respectfully presents the twentieth annual report of the Museum of 

 Natural History: — 



This year marks an epoch in the museum's history. Twenty years 

 ago a beginning was made toward preparing, for display in the new 

 Art Building, the natural history collection then housed in the old library 

 building. It was the commencement of a period of rapid growth, and 

 five years later came the museum's important event — establishment in 

 a home of its own. In this new building growth has continued, activities 

 have developed, and fruitful efforts have been made to generally extend 

 the usefulness of an institution which is to-day a conspicuous factor of 

 the city's advantages. During the past year gifts of importance have 

 been received. The addition of these to a collection which last year 

 seemed to fill the building brings nearer the time when you who are 

 mindful of the museum's needs will provide for its progress. A recent 

 appraisal of these collections commercially places the value of the whole 

 plant at about $100,000. For appraising the educational worth, this 

 report of the museum's work for the past twelve months may serve as 

 a basis. 



Gifts. 



Your attention has already been called to the inestimable value of 

 exhibits which have been collected and given by notable scientific in- 

 vestigators. It is cause for congratulation that such interest continues, 

 and is evinced by the addition of more and even choicer material from 

 these unquestionably authoritative sources. 



Last year's report announced the receipt of a first installment from 

 the famous Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., collection of bird skins. Since 

 that announcement two other larger accessions have been received and 

 now all together form an important series to which Dr. D^vight states 

 further additions will be made. 



Mr. Clarence B. Moore of Philadelphia and Prof. Harris B. Wilder 

 of Smith College have added extraordinary specimens to the department 

 of archaeology and ethnology. 



