174 
Field  Columbian  Museum — Reports,  Vol.  i. 
similar  position  in  the  National  Museum,  and  Mr.  George  A.  Dorsey, 
whose  range  of  equipment  covers  all  the  divisions  of  the  Depart- 
ment, has  been  placed  in  charge  as  Acting  Curator.  Mr.  S.  E.  Meek, 
well  known  for  his  work  on  the  United  States  Fish  Commission,  has 
been  appointed  Assistant  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Zoology, 
except  Ornithology.  The  office  of  Librarian  and  Recorder  having 
been  divided  for  the  betterment  of  the  service,  Mr.  J.  Dieserud  has 
been  appointed  Librarian  and  Mr.  D.  C.  Davies,  Recorder. 
Income  and  Maintenance. — By  direction  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee the  Director's  income  and  maintenance  budget,  which  hereto- 
fore has  covered  the  calendar  year,  was  made  to  cover  only  the 
period  between  January  i,  1897,  and  September  30,  1897,  with 
instructions  thereafter  to  present  an  estimate  of  the  income  and 
expenses  of  maintenance  for  each  year  beginning  October  1.  The 
nine  months'  estimate  for  maintenance  from  January  1  to  September 
30  of  this  year  was  $74,245  ;  income  from  all  sources  for  the  same 
period  was  $49,887.  These  estimates  anticipated  a  deficit  of  $24,358, 
which  it  was  believed  would  result  from  the  operations  of  the  institu- 
tion owing  to  the  increased  expenditures  provided  for  in  its  scientific 
work.  The  actual  income  did  not  vary  materially  from  the  estimate, 
due,  of  course,  to  the  fact  that  the  income  is  largely  a  fixed  one.  The 
actual  expenditures,  however,  were  $66,614,  showing  a  gratifying 
saving  in  the  budget  of  $7,635,  so  that  the  net  deficit  for  the  nine 
months  is  $16,723.  This,  it  is  of  course  understood,  is  with  relation 
to  maintenance.  Additional  sums  expended  by  authority  of  the  Exec- 
utive Committee  are  apparent  in  the  accompanying  Financial  State- 
ment. 
The  Memberships. — The  annual  memberships  for  the  year  have 
decreased  slightly,  ascribable  to  the  fact  that  no  special  effort  has 
been  made  to  increase  the  number.  The  present  list  of  annual 
members  consists  of  those  who  have  renewed  their  membership  and 
the  few  who  have  voluntarily  applied  for  membership.  All  persons 
who  had  contributed  the  sum  of  $500  or  more  in  cash  to  the  institution 
were  elected  life  members  by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  This  included 
those  upon  whose  gift  of  World's  Columbian  Exposition  stock  a  divi- 
dend amounting  to  $500  or  more  had  been  paid.  Certificates  of  this 
membership  were  prepared  and  issued  during  the  year,  and  the  list  of 
these  members  appears  in  its  proper  place  in  this  report. 
Lecture  Course. — Two  series  of  lectures  have  been  given  since 
the  last  annual  report,  illustrated  in  most  cases,  and  covering  an 
unusually  wide  range  of  research  and  travel.    The  first  of  these,  the 
