Annual Reports 1878

THE

EIGHTH AND NINTH

AN NUAL REPORTS
OF TIHE

jmltrian

Oum of atural fistor
JANUARY 1ST, 4878.

tw

t

I)
THIE MUSEUM.
FJnFOR
' L I NE

MDCCCLXXVIII.

+



The following is the number of visitors to the Museum, recorded by the turnstile:
For week ending September i8th, i875,
sssss
se

s
"
"
" October
2d, " -

~25sth,

17,082

13,327
15,204

17,778
ssss
.s
"

"

"

I6th, "

~23d2

*i

"
30th,

November 6th,

i3th,

"

'

13,385
I8,328
14,936

For week ending November 20th, i875,
" "'
"
"
27th, "
""
" December 4th,
i ith, "
i 8th
25th, "
" January
Ist, i876,

- 1,0oi

-

I 8,030

9,413

-

9,125

-

Io,605

-

7,425
17,545

-

I8,904
12,525

Number of Visitors to the British Museum in 1874,
Average per week,
-

Total for i6 weeks,
Average per week,
60I,842
II,574

217,245

-

13,577

The average attendance as indicated above, is 2,000 persons per week more than visit the latural History, Antiquarian, and all other exhibition halls of the British Museum, and shows that the collections already in their present
temporary quarters, attract more people than visit any other similar Institution in the world.
NEw YORK, January 5th, 1876.

ALBERT S. BICKMORE, Superintendent.



THE

EIGHTH AND NINTH

AN NUAL REPO RTS
OF THE

m etrsan

m
Itst878.
1AN UaAiYt1S

JAN UARY IST, 1878.

ti

th

PRnINXTE:D FOR TIHE MUS:EUJM.
MDCCCLXXVIII.



lrnqtee .

ROBERT L. STUART.
J. PIERPONT MORGAN.
WILLIAM A. HAINES.
JOSEPH H. CHOATE.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
PERCY R. PYNE.
HOWARD POTTER.
JOHN B. TREVOR.
ROBERT COLGATE.
ANDREW H GREEN.
BENJAMIN H. FIELD.
WM. E. DODGE, JR.
ADRIAN ISELIN.
JOSEPH W. DREXEL.
JAMES M. CONSTABLE.
FREDERICK W. STEVENS.
MORRIS K. JESUP.
ABRAM S. HEWITT.
D. JACKSON STEWARD.
CHARLES LANIER.
HUGH AUCHINCLOSS.

ROBERT L. STUART.
WILLIAM A. HAINES.

THEO. ROOSEVELT.

jiecEetarg.
D. JACKSON STEWARD.

IgrgasuqKl.
J. PIERPONT MORGAN.

&xcutive Oommittem.
WILLIAM A. HAINES.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

ANDREW H. GREEN.
MORRIS K. JESUP.
WM. E. DODGE, JR.

4inante ADRIAN ISELIN.
J. PIERPONT MORGAN.
FREDERICK W. STEVENS.

3ud'it'ig Tommfft%<
ROBERT COLGATE.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
JAMES M. CONSTABLE.

PROF. ALBERT S. BICKMORE, Superintendent.
DR. J. B. HOLDER, Assistant Superintendent.
PROF. R. P. WHITFIELD, Curator of Geology.



1877-

THE Trustees of the American Museum of Natural
History have the pleasure of presenting this, their
Ninth Annual Report, to the Patrons, Fellows and
Members of the Museum.
In 1870, after an Act of Incorporation had been
granted by the Legislature, and the Elliot, Maximillian
and Verreaux collections had been secured, an agreement was made with the Department of Public Parks,
that these attractive specimens should be temporarily
exhibited in the Arsenal building, in the Central Park,
while the City was erecting a suitable edifice, absolutely
fireproof, and part of a general plan to be completed, by
the addition from time to time of similar sections, as
the increasing collections of the Museum might require
more space for public exhibition. This agreement
has been fully carried out. In accordance with
an Act of the Legislature, passed in 1870, the Department offered the Trustees that portion of the
Central Park formerly known as Manhattan Square,
as a location. This was accepted, and a building has been erected from plans prepared by the
Architects of the Department, and approved by a
Committee of our Board, the cases and interior arrangements having been planned, principally, from

.suggestions by our Superintendent.
Last year the Legislature passed an Act authorizing
and directing the Department to make and enter


6

into a contract with the Museum for the occupation
by it of the buildings erected or to be erected on the
square, and for transferring thereto and establishing
and maintaining therein its museum, library and collections, and carrying out the objects and purposes set
forth in its charter. In compliance with the provisions of this law, an agreement has been made with
the Department, which is hereto annexed, and' provides, among other things, that the Museunm shall enjoy the exclusive use of the whole of said building,
under rules and regulations contained in the contract;
that its exhibition halls shall be open to the public,
free of charge, on Wedinesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday of each week, and on Monday and Tuesday
to subscribers and students; and that the Trustees
may appoint, direct, control and remove all persons
employed in the building and the museum, library and
collections therein contained.
The directors of the principal museums in America,
and a number of scientific gentlemen connected with
similar institutions in Europe, have already carefully
examined the structure, and pronounce it particularly
satisfactory, in respect to light, space, durability, elegance of finish, and every convenience for the visitor
and the scientific student.
This edifice was opened to the public, by the President of the United States, on the 22d day of December, in the presence of the Trustees, the Commissioners
of Public Parks, the State and City authorities, and a
large assemblage of our most prominent citizens, and

scientific men of the country. Addresses were delivered on that occasion by ROBERT L. STUART, Esq.,
President of the Museum; Hon. W. R. MARTIN, President of the Department of Public Parks; President


7

ELIOT, of Harvard University, and Professor MARSH,
President of the American Association for the advancement of Science, which are appended to this
report.
The new arrangements, including the selection and
removal to this building of a very large part of our
collections, hitherto deposited in the Arsenal, and their
scientific classification, have required, during the past
summer and autumn, the exercise of a great deal of
care, labor and thought, on the part of the gentlemen
to whom the work has been entrusted by the Board:
and here, we would perhaps be considered as having
failed in our duty, did we not recognize in an especial
manner, the zealous co-operation of Prof. Bickmore,
and others, particularly at a period which brings to a
definite and satisfactory conclusion, the initial movement in our history, with which -they have been so
closely identified.
The reptiles, fishes, corals, minerals and duplicates,
are still exhibited in the Arsenal, for want of space. in
the new building, which contains the rarer and more
attractive specimens, displayed in cases that suitably
show their beautiful forms and colors, and invite critical scientific examination.
The Anthropological department has received the
following additions. By donation:-from Mr. John
H. Pell, sixty articles of Indian dresses and arms;

from Capt. J. H. Mortimer, a series of the implements
of the Esquimaux of Alaska; from Mr. H. G. Marquand,
over two hundred pieces of Missouri mound pottery;
from Mr. D. J. Steward, a collection of rude stone implements from Goshen, N.Y.; from Dr. Jacob Knapp, Louisville, Ky., stone axes and arrow-heads. By purchase:
several lots of Missouri mound pottery, from H. de Mor-


8

gan; the Bement collection, illustrating the Stone age
of Denmark, and the two-thirds purchase of the rare
and carefully selected collection of Col. Charles C. Jones,
Jr., of Georgia, containing- the specimens described and
figured in his " Antiquities of the Southern Indians."
The very important collection of implements used
by the prehistoric men of the valley of the Somme, in
northern France, numbering over three thousand
carefully selected specimens, which was brought
over by Mr. H. de Morgan, from Amiens, has been
purchased and deposited by the President of the Museum. It is stated to be the most complete and valuable series of such objects extant, (that of Boucher de
Perthes, at Abbeville, only excepted), and will afford
to investigators of that popular branch of Natural
Science in America, a means of comparing their specimens with a standard series of the earliest Stone age
in Europe.
The purchase of the Hall Collection, has made
the Departments of Geology and Palaeontology so
important, that the services of a special curator have
been required, and Prof. R. P. Whitfield has been e'mployed to take charge of that part of our collections.
He has unpacked and placed in the cases of the upper
exhibition hall, the types and rarer specimens of the

"Jamies Hall" and other collections, and is now preparing a series of maps, to show by different colors the
areas of the surface of our continent occupied by the
several formations.
Valuable gifts liave been made to this department,
by Mr. Robert L. Stuart and Professor Hall.
The Wolfe gift of the Jay collection of books on
Conchology, is placed in a library specially prepared
with cases and shelves of iron. Important works have


9

been given by the States of New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dr. Hayden's Geological survey
has been received from the Department of the Interior, and the publications of many foreign societies
from the Smithsonian Institution.
The very valuable library of Icthyological and Scientific Books, gathered at great expense and care, by
Mr. James C. Brevoort, (unlimited orders having been
given for rare works during many years), has been
purchased by the President of the Museum, and will
soon be deposited in the Library. It is regarded
as by far the most extensive collection of works upon
Fishes in this country.
The great assemblage on the day of opening the
new building, and the large numbers who daily frequent its halls, show that the usefulness of the Museum
is constantly increasing, and we confidently appeal to
all our public spirited citizens, to unite with the
Trustees in sustaining and promoting the prosperity
of an institution which exists only as a means of
advancing the higher education and increasing the
esthetic and scientific attractions of the city in which

we live.
D. JACKSON STEWARD,

Secretary-


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14

IN CORPORATION.
AN ACT
TO INCORPORATE THE

4%nericnn u1meum off $aturaI jfixtorii.
Passed April 6, 1869.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly,
do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. John David Wolfe, Robert Colgate, Benjamin H. Field, Robert
L. Stuart, Adrian Iselin, Benjamin B. Sherman, William A. Haines, Theodore
Roosevelt, Howard Potter, William T. Blodgett, Morris K. Jesup, D. Jackson
Steward, J. Pierpont Morgan, A. G. P. Dodge, Charles A. Dana, Joseph H.
Choate, and Henry Parish, and such pereons as may hereafter become members
of the corporation hereby created, are hereby created a body corporate, by the
name of " The American Museum of Natural History," to be located in the City
of New York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a
Museum and Library of Natural History; of encouraging and developing the
study of Natural Science; of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and to that end of furnishing popular instruction and recreation.
SEC. 2. Said Corporation shall have power to make and adopt a Constitution
and By-Laws, and to make rules and regulations for the admission, suspension,

and expulsion of its members, and their government, the number and election of
its officers, and to define their duties, and for the safe keeping of its property,
and, from time to time, to alter and modify such Constitution, By-Laws, Rules
and Regulations. Until an election shall be held pursuant to such Constitution
and By-Laws, the persons named in the first section of this Act, shall be, and
are hereby declared to be the Trustees and Managers of said Corporation and
its property.
SEC. 3. Said Corporation may purchase and hold, or lease any real and personal estate necessary and proper for the purposes of its incorporation, provided
they shall not hold real estate which shall exceed one hundred thousand dollars
in value.
SEC. 4. Said Corporation shall possess the general powers, and be subject to
the restrictions and liabilities prescribed in the Third Title of the Eighteenth
Chapter of the First Part of the Revised Statutes.
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect immediately.


15
STATE OF NEW YORK,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE,7
I have compared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and
do hereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of the
whole of said original law.
SEAL.

Given under my hand and seal of office at the city of Albany, this
fourteenth day of April, in the year one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.
D. WILLERS, JR., Deputy Secretary of State.

At a meeting of the Trustees, held at the residence of Theodore Roosevelt,

Esq., April 8th, 1869, the above charter was unanimously accepted by a majority
of the Trustees.


16

CONSTITUTION
OF THE

tmeri-an 4Jusenm of

caturaI

j4iitorg,

IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

ARTICLE I.
This Corporation shall be styled the AMERICAN MUSEUM OF
NATURAL HISTORY.
ARTICLE II.
The several persons named in the Charter, and such others
as they may add to their number, which shall not exceed
twenty-five in all at one time, shall be the Trustees to manage
the affairs, property and business of the Corporation, and in
case of the death, accepted resignation, or removal from the
State of any Trustee, a new Trustee shall be elected to fill. his
place by the remaining Trustees; but no election of a Trustee
shall be held except at a quarterly meeting of the Trustees,
on written notice of not less than one week, specifying that

such election is to be held, and the vacancy which is to be
filled; and every election of Trustees shall be by ballot, and
no person shall be deemed to be elected a Trustee unless he
shall receive the votes of at least three-fourths of the Trustees
present.
ARTICLE III.
The Trustees shall meet quarterly on the second Monday of
every February, May) August and November, at an hour and
place to be designated on at least one week's written notice
from the Secretary, and shall, annlually, at the quarterly


17
meeting in November, elect the officers and committees for
the ensuing year. They shall also meet at any other time to
transact special business on a call of the Secretary, who shall
issue such call whenever requested so to do, in writing, by
five Truistees or by the President, and give written niotice to
each Trustee of such special ineeting, and of the object thereof,
at least three days before the meeting is held.

ARTICLE IV.
The officers of the said Corporation shall be a President, a
First and Second Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, an
Executive Committee, an Auditing Committee, and a Finance
Committee, all to be elected from the Trustees. All these
officers shall hold their offices for one year, and until their
successors shall be elected.
The election of officers shall be by ballot, and the persons
having a majority of the votes cast, shall be deemed duly

elected.
ARTICLE V.
The President, and in his absence, the First or Second
Vice-President, shall preside at all the. neetings of the Museum
and of the Trustees.
The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the
Trustees, of the Execuitive Committee, and of the Auditing
Committee, and shall preserve the seal, archives and correspondence of the Muiseum, shall issue notices for all meetings
of the Trustees, and attend the same.
The Treasurer shall receive and disburse the funds of the
Muiseum. He shall keep the accounts of the Museum in books
belonging to it, which shall be at all times open to the inspection of the Trustees. He shall report in writing, at each
quarterly meeting of the Trustees, the balance of mnoney on
hand, and the outstanding obligations of the Museum, as
far as practicable; and shall make a full report, at the annual
meeting, of the receipts and disbursements of the past year,
with such suggestions, as to the financial management of the
Museum, as he may deem proper.


18

ARTICLE VI.
The Executive Committee shall consist of five, who shall
have the control and regulation of the Collections, Library and
other property of the Mluseum; and shall have power to purchase, sell* and exchange specimens and books, to employ
agents, to regulate the marnner and terms of exhibiting the
Museum to the public, and generally to carry out in detail the
directions of the Trustees; but the Executive Committee shall
not incur any expense or liability for the Museum exceeding

two thousand. dollars at one time, or exceeding, in all, ten
thousand dollars, in the interval between the quarterly meetings of the Trustees, without the express sanction of the
Trustees.
ARTICLE VII.
The Auditing Committee shall consist of three, and it shall
be their duty to examine and certify all bills presented against
the Corporation; and no bills shall be paid unless first approved
in writing by at least two members of this Committee.
ARTICLE VIII.
The Finance Committee shall consist of three, including
the Treasurer, and it shall be their duty to take charge of and
invest the funds of the Museum in its name, and to take all
proper measures to provide means for its support.
ARTICLE IX.
A majority of the Trustees for the time being shall constitute a quiorum for the transaction of business, but five Trustees meeting may adjourn and transact cuirrent business, suibject to the subsequent approval of a meeting at which a quorum
shall be present.
ARTICLE X.
By-Laws may, from time to time, be made by the Trustees,
providing for the care and management of the property of the
Corporation, and for the government of its affairs.


19

Such By-Laws, when once adopted, may be amended at anly
meeting of the Trustees by a vote of a majority of those
present, after a month's notice in writing of such proposed
amendment.

ARTICLE XI.

The contribution of two thousand five hundred dollars to
the funds of the Museum at one tine, shall entitle the person
giving the same to be a Patron of the Museum.
The contribution of one thousand dollars, at one time, shall
entitle the person giving the same to be a Fellow in Perpetuity.
The contribution of five hundred dollars, at one time, shall
entitle the person giving the same to be a Fellow for Life.
Any person may be elected by the Trustees to either of the
above degrees, who shall have donated to the Museum Books
or Specimens to the value of twice the amount in money requiisite to his admission to the same degree, and the President
and Secretary shall issue Diplomas accordingly, under the seal
of the Museum. The Trustees may elect Honorary Fellows
of the Museum in their discretion.
All persons receiving such degrees and diplomas shall be
entitled, at all times, to free admission to the Museum and its
Exhibitions, but shall not, by virtue of such degrees or diplomas, become members of the Corporation.

ARTICLE XII.
No alterations shall be made in this Constitution, uilless at
a regular quarterly meeting of the Trustees; nor by the votes
of less than two-thirds of all the Trustees; nor without notice
in writing of the proposed alteration, embodying the amendment proposed to be mrrade, having been given at a regular
meeting.


20

B Y -L AW S.
I.

Patrons giving $2,500 are each entitled to 10 Complimentary Season Tickets, 1 Subscriber's Ticket, and 10 Tickets for
a single admission.
Fellows in Perpetuiity giving $1,000 are each entitled to 5
Complinlentary Season Tickets, 1 Subscriber's Ticket, and 10
Tickets for a single admission.
Fellows for Life giving $500 are each entitled to 4 Complimentary Season Tickets, - Subscriber's Ticket, and 10 Tickets
for a single admission.
Associate Fellows giving $250 are each entitled to 3 Complimentary Seasoni Tickets, 1 Subscriber's Ticket, and 10
Tickets for a single admission.
Members giving $100 are each entitled to 2 Coniplimentary
Season Tickets, 1 Subscriber's Ticket, and 10 Tickets for a
single admission.
Annual Members, paying $10 yearly, are each entitled to
1 Subscriber's Ticket, and 10 Complimentary Tickets for a
single admission.
II.
Any Trustee who shall fail to attend three consecuitive
Regular Quarterly Meetings of the Board, shall cease to be a
Trustee, unless excused by the Board.
'III.
No gentleman shall hereafter be eligible to the position of
a Trustee who shall not be a " Fellow in Perpetuity " of the
Museum, unless by a unanimous vote of a quorum of the
Board-excepting Trustees ex-o]flcio-nor be eligible unless
his name shall be presented by the aomninating committee at
a Regular Quarterly Meeting prior to the rmeeting at whicl
said election shall take place.


21

CO N T RACT
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PARKS
FOR THE OCCUPATION OF THE NFW BUILDING.

THIS AGREEMENT, made anid concluded on the twenty-second day of December, in the year one thousand eight hiun1dred and seventy-seven, betweeni the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
PARKS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, the party of the first part,
and the AMERICAN MIUSEUM OF NATURAL ISTORY, party of
the second part, Witnesseth:
Whereas, by an Act of the Legislature of the State of New
York, passed April 22d, 1876, entitled "An Act in relation
to the powers and duties of the Board of Commissioners of
the Department of Public Parks, in connection with the
American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan
Museum of Art," the said party of the first part is auithorized
and directed to enter inlto a contract with the said party of
the second part, for the occupation by it of the buildings
erected or to be erected on that portion of the Central Pairk
in the City of New York, known as Manhattan square, and for
transferring thereto and establishing and maintaining therein its
muiseum, library and collections, and carrying olut the objects
and purposes of said party of the second part; and
Wlherea8, a building contemplated by said act has now been
erected and nearly completed and equipped in a inanner suitable for the purposes of said Museum, as provided in the first.
section of the Act of May 15, 1875, known as Chapter 351,
of the Laws of 1875, for the purpose of establishing and
maintaining thereiin the. said museum, as provided by the
said last-named act, and by the Act of April 5, 1871, known
as Chapter 290, of the Laws of 1871; and,