THE GROWTH OF THE AGASSIZ MUSEUM.

The special report of Alexander Agassiz, curator of the museum, is the most instructive of those handed to the president during the last year. It not only covers the work of the year but contains a general survey of the work accomplished during the last ten years, the period of his administration. A comparison is made of the state of the museum in 1873 and 1883. "At the close of 1873 the museum building covered about 9, 400 square feet of ground the buildings and collections then represented an expenditure of about $200, 000. From that time to the past academic year the new buildings and collections represent an additional expenditure of more than $500, 000, in addition to the current expenditure. The ground covered by the additional building measures about 9, 500 square feet. The resources at the disposal of the director in 1873 came from the income or invested funds amounting to over $185, 000. At the present moment, these amount to over $580, 000. Ten years ago our departmental library numbered some 5,000 volumes. Since that time it has increased to $16, 000 volumes." At the time of the death of Prof. Louis Agassiz the museum was over-crowded with the immense accessions constantly accumulating. There was no opportunity for order or systematic display. A re-arrangement was absolutely necessary and it has been successfully accomplished. The old facilities for laboratory work and instruction were entirely inadequate. The present rooms, although not as yet equipped to suit him, give ample opportunities in comparison.

The idea has been to build up a museum which shall "not only meet the wants of the public at large, and of beginners as well as more advanced university students, but also promote research by giving assistance to specialists and original investigators." With this in view the space has been allotted as follows: "Seventeen rooms devoted to the exhibition of collections for the public; ten work and storage rooms in the basement, for the alcoholic collections; thirteen work and storage rooms for the dry Zoological collections; eight similar rooms for the Palaeontological and Geological collections; and thirteen rooms devoted to the laboratories, lecture rooms, and library connected with the instruction given at the museum. The arrangement being such that whenever any departments, as, for instance, the geological and geographical, or the anatomical, or any other, outgrow their present quarters, room can be made for them, by extension of the building, for a long time to come, without interfering with the plans which have been carried out thus far." The able corps of workers attached to this department having now straightened the general plan will be able to devote their time to such arrangement of specialties as happens to be undone. The work accomplished in the past year has been chiefly a completion of the great changes. The transfer of the students to their new quarters has been effected, and the whole building is now occupied as originally planned. The rooms in this addition are devoted mainly to laboratories, to the library, lecture room and curator's room, only such space being reserved for exhibition as was necessary to connect the general exhibition rooms with those of the main body of the building, hereafter to be erected. Volumes IV. to IX. of the Memoirs have been published. The principal collections purchased were those from Prof. Ward of Rochester, a second lot of Solenhofen fossils from Mr. Haberlein and the "Stock" collection of fossil fishes from Edinburgh.