Jan., 192 1. Annual Report of the Director. 



401 



posed of 316,000 pupils of elementary and of 28,000 of high schools. 

 In response to a formal request made by the Boys' Work Secretary of 

 the Young Men's Christian Association for the loan of cases to that 

 association's summer school, at 162 1 Division Street, several cases were 

 sent. That these cases proved to be of educational value and interest 

 is evident, for, from the same source there came a subsequent request 

 for cases, but in this instance it was asked that cases be loaned period- 

 ically throughout the year. This request is being compHed with, and 

 in doing so care has been and will be taken to prevent any interference 

 with service to the public schools. The Supervisor of the Children's 

 , Department of the Chicago Public Library requested the loan of six 

 cases of birds for the purpose of exhibiting them for a short time at the 

 Public Library, to stimulate interest in books on birds. The cases were 

 loaned, and it was reported that they rendered the service for which they 

 were solicited. This year, as has been done during the past two years, 

 twenty-four cases were on exhibition in the Art Gallery of the Municipal 

 Pier during the months of July and August. 



Mrs. Charles L. Hutchinson, President, Chicago Chapter, Wild 

 Flower Preservation Society of America, asked that four cases be dis- 

 played at the annual exhibition held under the auspices of that society, 

 at the Art Institute from the 6th to the 22nd of January 1920. This 

 request was granted, as was a subsequent one for six cases for the same 

 purpose, and at the same place from December i8th 1920 to January 

 18th 192 1. In connection with a request for the temporary use of 

 several cases for the purpose of rendering service in establishing a 

 system of loaning cases to schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, the curator 

 of the museum of Saint Paul Institute in that city wrote: — ''While 

 visiting the Field Museum some time ago, I was greatly impressed with 

 the educational value of your school cases. The fact that they can be 

 circulated through the various schools from time to time gives them 

 added value." It is regretted that this request could not, at that time, 

 be granted. The President of the San Diego Society of Natural History 

 stated in a communication that a considerable donation had been made 

 to that society for the purpose of popularizing natural history, especially 

 in the schools of San Diego and, having seen this department's exhibit 

 at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, he would like to have such data as 

 would assist in establishing a similar system. It has since been learned 

 that the museum of this society will build a number of small cases for 

 containing birds, minerals, plants, etc., to loan to schools, as part of 

 its educational work. Having in view the prospect of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture aiding rural communities on subjects pertaining to 

 agriculture, Professor Frank Lamson-Scribner, Special Agent and 



