270 
Field  Columbian  Museum — Reports,  Vol.  i. 
20  volumes  of  its  journals  and  proceedings,  and  the  British  Museum 
22  of  its  valuable  publications.  The  work  of  cataloguing  the  resources 
of  the  library  has  progressed  steadily.  The  shelf  list  and  the  author 
catalogue  have  been  kept  up  to  date.  The  subject  catalogue  has 
been  completed  so  far  as  regards  the  books,  pamphlets,  and  separates, 
some  8,500  cards  having  been  written  during  the  fiscal  year.  The 
staff  are  anxious  to  have  subject  cards  for  the  more  important 
papers  in  the  scientific  transactions,  proceedings,  and  bulletins; 
this  work  has  recently  been  started  and  can  be  pushed  with  vigor 
during  the  next  year.  372  volumes  have  been  bound  during  the  past 
year,  involving  an  expense  of  $300.60.  The  Union  list  of  periodicals 
referred  to  in  the  last  report  has  not  been  published  yet,  owing  to  the 
many  difficulties  of  the  undertaking,  but  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  be 
available  for  reference  some  time  this  winter.  Of  the  duplicate  cata- 
logue of  the  John  Crerar  Library  some  12,500  cards  have  been 
received  and  arranged  in  alphabetical  order  by  authors.  This  accu- 
rate and  carefully  prepared  catalogue  is  likety  to  be  very  useful  to  the 
Museum  staff  in  many  ways,  besides  preventing  the  duplicating  of 
expensive  books,  and  will  surely  repay  the  not  inconsiderable  work 
involved  in  its  handling.  The  permission  secured  from  the  Chicago 
Public  Library  to  draw  out  books  is  constantly  made  use  of.  While 
the  members  of  the  staff  in  this  way  have  an  opportunity  of  availing 
themselves  of  many  important  books  not  contained  in  the  Museum 
library,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  many  standard  works  are  yet  inac- 
cessible to  them,  and  a  moderate  amount  expended  once  for  all  for 
such  books  would  add  much  to  their  facilities. 
Records. — This  most  essential  and  basic  feature  of  the  routine 
work  of  the  Museum  is  in  the  highest  degree  satisfactory,  and  the 
assurance  is  gratifying  that  the  receipt,  the  distribution,  and  the  for- 
warding for  storage,  for  exchange,  for  identification,  etc.,  is  accu- 
rately, systematically,  and  intelligently  recorded.  Several  improve- 
ments have  been  made  in  the  manner  of  keeping  the  records  dur- 
ing the  year,  Heretofore  no  distinction  has  been  made  between 
the  Departments  of  Zoology  and  of  Ornithology,  notwithstanding  a 
different  curator  presided  over  each  department.  This  division  of 
material  has  been  made  with  much  labor,  and  separate  sets  of  records 
are  now  maintained  for  each  department.  No  systematic  record 
has  been  kept  of  negatives,  lantern  slides,  and  photographs.  As 
very  many  negatives,  etc.,  have  been  acquired  or  made  by  the 
Museum,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  open  an  accession  book  under 
the  head,  "Section  of  Photography  and  Illustration,"  purchases 
