1 54 Field Museum of Natural History — Reports, Vol. V. 



interest to their work. In taking account of the sales of the Publications, 

 it is interesting to note the increasing number sold to individuals and 

 institutions as well as to booksellers. The stock of Publications and 

 halftones was moved during the year from Room 64 to Room 1 1 . Two 

 more cabinets were purchased to accommodate the halftones and zinc 

 etchings that are filed numerically to date. 



THE Library. — The books and pamphlets accessioned during the 

 year were 1,641, bringing the total number of books and pamphlets in 

 the Library to 71,316, which are distributed as follows: 



General Library 45.737 



Department of Anthropology 3.553 



Department of Botany 7>i93 



Department of Geology 10,276 



Department of Zoology 4.557 



The operations in the Library during the year were largely normal 

 in character and the routine work has gone on without interruption. 

 The resources of the Library continue to be taxed by the members of 

 the scientific staff for material desired in their research work and in 

 the quest for information in working up collections for reference or 

 exhibition that have been received without data. The fourth year of 

 the war brings a great decrease in the literary output of all foreign 

 countries, especially in works on natural sciences. Exchanges have 

 practically ceased with some foreign countries, and from others receipts 

 have been irregular. Notwithstanding these conditions, there has been 

 a gratifying increase of accessions over last year of two hundred and 

 fifty books and pamphlets. The outstanding event of the year is the 

 purchases made and presented by Mr. Edward E. Ayer of many rare 

 and beautifully illustrated works for The Edward E. Ayer Ornithological 

 Library. Among these are: Gould, Icones Avitim, 2 parts, 1837-38; 

 Gray, Genera of Birds, 3 volumes, 1844-49, of "^^le works that rank 

 in beauty of execution with Gotild's and Audubon's works already in 

 this library; Edwards, Natural History Birds, 4 volumes, 1802-6; 

 Buffon, Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, 20 volimies, 1770-86; Booth, 

 Rough Notes on Birds, 3 volumes; Thorbum, British Birds, 4 volumes, 

 1915-16; Swainson, Birds of Brazil and Mexico, 1841; Thienemann, 

 Die Vogel Europas, 1825; Levaillant, Oiseaux d'Am^rique et des Indes, 

 volume I, 1 801; Gates and Blanford, Fauna of British India, including 

 Ceylon and Burma. Birds, 4 voltimes, 1889-98. Subscription was 

 entered to Mathews' wonderfully illustrated "Birds of Australia" of 

 which five complete volumes and five numbers of volimie VI have been 

 received. Eighteen orders for books have been filled, adding fifty-four 

 books and pamphlets to the Departmental Libraries. Among those 



