Oct.  1896. 
Annual  Report  of  the  Director. 
93 
and  collections,  and  of  geographic  regions  or  sources  of  specimen 
supply,  as  well  as  the  most  modern  manuals  are  the  most  important 
permanent  accessories  to  specimens  themselves,  and  are  indispensable 
for  reference,  to  a  progressive  working  staff.  The  Curators  complain 
that  they  are  unable  to  do  the  careful  scientific  work  required 
of  them  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  effective  descriptive  literary  tools  are 
not  provided.  Although,  as  far  as  possible  resources  of  other  Libraries 
are  being  drawn  upon,  it  yet  remains  to  be  said  that  each  department 
of  the  Museum  needs  a  still  larger  complement  of  specialized  scientific 
bdoks  for  constant  reference.  As  the  routine  work  of  the  Library  is 
being  performed  by  one  assistant,  the  large  amount  of  cataloguing  to  be 
done  progresses  slowly.  A  type-written  card  catalogue  shelf-list 
is  kept  up  to  date  and  arranged  by  subjects  so  that  the  resources 
of  the  Library  on  any  specific  subject  can  be  given.  A  carefully 
studied  subject  catalogue,  which  will  give  cross  references  to  the 
minor  matter  in  collective  books,  has  already  been  begun.  The 
author  catalogue,  comprising  some  12,000  titles,  has  been  completed 
and  is  in  use.  All  of  the  literature  on  the  shelves  of  the  Library 
and  belonging  to  the  Museum,  has  been  stamped  with  the  Library 
seal.  Twenty-eight  periodicals  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
subscribed  for  are  now  received  regularly  in  exchange.  The  number 
of  periodicals  subscribed  for  is  47.  The  total  number  of  books  in 
the  Department  Libraries  is  as  follows  :  Department  of  Geology, 
1,190  and  1, 100  pamphlets.  Department  of  Ornithology,  368.  De- 
partment of  Botany,  163.  Department  of  Zoology,  169.  Depart- 
ment of  Anthropology,  88.  Total  deposited  in  Departments — Books 
and  pamphlets,  3,078.  No  record  of  the  use  of  these  books  is  kept 
by  the  Librarian. 
Records. — The  accession  catalogues  have  been  carried  on  as 
described  in  the  Report  of  last  year,  with  the  exception  that  two  new 
books  have  been  opened,  one  for  the  Department  of  Monographic 
Collections,  the  other  for  the  Section  of  Photography.  Great  incon- 
venience was  caused  by  the  lack  of  catalogues  accompanying  the 
collections  received  at  the  inception  of  the  Museum.  At  present  for 
each  new  accession  either  catalogues  are  obtained  from  the  sender  or 
the  Curators  prepare  catalogues  of  the  material  upon  receipt.  These 
are  then  filed  and  jacketed  for  future  use.  The  total  number  of 
such  descriptive  papers,  letters,  documents,  etc.,  now  in  the  Record- 
er's files  reaches  9,426.  Each  paper  filed  receives  its  individual 
number,  and  cannot  be  withdrawn  from  the  Recorder's  office  without 
written  receipt.  The  Recorder,  who  acts  as  Custom  House  Agent 
for  the  Museum,  has  cleared  through  the  Custom  House  about  30 
