LIBRARY 
THE Founders of the Museum in their Articles of Incorporation 
provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Museum and 
Library of Natural History, and it is a well-recognized fact that 
a thoroughly equipped library is a necessary adjunct to an institution 
devoted to scientific research. Since the incumbency of the present 
Curator, Prof. R. W. Tower, in 1902, it has been the aim of the 
administration to build up an exhaustive library of natural history 
rather than a large general library. 
In 1902 the Museum possessed a good nucleus of standard scientific 
works, which had largely been received through the gifts of friends of 
the Museum. Among those of special importance are the following: 
The first important gift was the John C. Jay conchological hbrary, 
Wolfe. presented in 1874 by Miss Catharine L. Wolfe. It contained about 
850 bound volumes and many pamphlets, gathered at a cost of over 
$10,000 and forming what was considered the finest library of its 
kind in America. 
Brevoort. The Carson Brevoort library on fishes and general zoology, on 
deposit since 1879, was presented by Mr. Robert L. Stuart. It num- 
bered 2,083 volumes and over 1,000 pamphlets, and included almost 
all important works on ichthyology up to 1870. 
A library of voyages and travel, numbering about 350 volumes, 
Jewett. was received in 1886 as the gift of Mr. Hugh J. Jewett. Among them 
were many rare original editions. 
Elliot. The ornithological library of Daniel Giraud Elliot, containing 
987 volumes and 675 pamphlets, and ranking third of its kind in the 
United States, was purchased and presented to the Museum in 1887 
by Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Mr. Percy R. Pyne. 
The largest addition, in point of numbers, which has been received 
at any one time is the library which was gathered by the late Dr. S. 
Elliot. Lowell Elliot and presented in 1891 as a memorial by his widow, 
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