Annual Reports 1872

He entered with zeal into the project of this Museum of Natural History, hoping and believing that it would prove an honor to his native city, and an im- portant means of education to it

Trustees andROBERT L STUART.

D JACKSON STEWARD

J PIERPONT MORGAN

JOSEPH H CHOATE.PERCY R PYNE

THEODORE ROOSEVELT | D JACKSON STEWARD

which will ever be gratefully cherished by all who

knew him Possessed of large wealth he gave it freely to every good cause; blessed with abundant leisure he devoted it to self culture, and to the de- velopment of whatever tended to the relief and im- provement of those about him A lover of Science

he lent a friendly hand to its advocates and disciples.

He entered with zeal into the project of this Museum

of Natural History, hoping and believing that it would prove an honor to his native city, and an im- portant means of education to its citizens and their children It owes its foundation in a large measure

to his liberal aid and wise counsels, and whatever

success may be in store for it, it will always count

among its best treasures the name and character of its first President.

The Institution has also sustained a great loss in the death of Mr Coleman -T Robinson, its Curator

of Entomology and one of its largest contributors.

Report is Appendix

The past year has been one of marked growth and increasing prosperity to the Museum Twenty thou- sand dollars have been raised to pay off all obliga-

tions on the collections, including the rare and

artist-ically mounted specimens selected from the extensive property of Madame Verreaux and Madame Verdey,

of Paris, and all these valnable collections have beetn safely received and are now placed on public exhibi- tion More donations of specimens have been received during the past few months than the three years

previous A list of them, many of which are of high value will be found later in the report.

To enable the Museum to exhibit these additions, the Department of Public Parks has completed sev-

eral new cases on the upper two stories, filling up all

the available room, and has also appropriated a part

of the lower floor, which will soon be occupied The plans for the new building to be erected, have

been completed, and the preparation of the ground

is already far advanced.

The Trustees would express their thanks to the Department, its Architects, and to its Executive Ofl- cers on the Park for their uniform courtesy, and the

personal interest they have displayed in the success

of the institution.

The Mammals, Birds, and Insects have been so

completely arranged by Professor Bickmrore and Dr.

Holder, as to give the whole exhibition an improved and very attractive character Mr Theodore L Mead

is kindly transferring to insect-proof boxes, the

Rob-inson collection of Lepidoptera, which has been found

to contain twenty thousand specimens, and includes

many of his types.

The Museum is constantly receiving offers of

speci-mens and books, at very reasonable prices, among

which, we would refer to the very important letter annexed from Dr John C Jay, of Rye, offering to present his celebrated collection of shells, containing

over 50,000 specimens, when our institution can chase his library, consisting of Conchological and other scientific works.

pur-A very important collection of the fossils of South

Carolina, from the Pleiocene and Post Pleiocene ods, has been offered, and a large and choice collection

peri-of minerals, also rare mammals and skeletons; and the fact that one of the largest private collections of

birds, and rare works on Ornithology in the world is soon to be offered for sale in Europe, compels us to

ask that our present subscription list of $80,000 be

increased to $200,000 at once.

On nearly every day during fair weather, our halls have been thronged by visitors, not only from our own city and state, but from all parts of the country, numbering frequently from 5,000 to 10,000 Large

numbers of pupils from the common schools of our city and its, suburbs have come in bodies to the Museum,

under the care of their teachers, who have been bled, by means of our collections, to impart much useful instruction.

ena-Scientific men, and advanced scholars from several

colleges, have come to the city solely to profit by the

opportunity the Museum can already offer them, to

examine rare and unique specimens.

The privileges which subscribers will hereafter joy are stated in the first By-Law As the import- ance of this institution in promoting the study of

en-Natural History in America is now beginning to be

made manifest, the Trustees confidently appeal to all

wvho have at heart the interest of our city and try, for the means to enable it to accomplish its important mission.

coun-R L STUART,

President THEODORE ROOSEVELT,

Aecretary.

All communications should be addressed,

AMERI-CAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, CENTRAL PARK, NEW-YORK.

RYE, WESTCHESTER CO., N Y

November 4th, 1871

TotaeTrusteesoftheAmericanMuseumofNatural History,

GENTLEMEN-Havingdevotedalarge partofmylife to the science of

Con-chology,Iamdeeplyinterested in the great enterprise sonobly inaugurated bythecitizensof New York, for the establishment of a Museum of Natural Historywhichshall be fully worthy of our metropolitan city

My collectionof shells comprises fourteen thousand species, twenty thousandvarieties, andfifty thousand specimens, and has cost memanyyears of continuedlabor, andovertwenty-fivethousanddollars

Mylibrary consists of 850 bound volumes, many of them obtained bygivingunlimited orders, andisprobably themost complete of its kindinAmerica It

has cost over$10,000,butif the friends of science inNewYorkCity will enableyoutopurchaseit atthatprice,I willpresenttotheMuseum my entire collection

of shellsdescribedabove

Believingthatyourinstitutionwillenjoy continued and increasing prosperity,

andsoon become of national importance, and awaiting the favor of anearly

Very truly yours,

JOHN C JAY

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Choate, and Henry Parish, and such perons asmay hereafterbecomemembers

ofthecorporation herebycreated,are hereby created a body corporate,by the

nameof "The American Museum of NaturalHistory," tobelocatedintheCity

ofNew-York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said cityaMuseumand Library of Natural History; ofencouraging and developing thestudy of NaturalScience; of advaneing the general knowledge of kindredsub-

jects,and to thatendof furnishingpopular instructionandrecreation

SEC 2 SaidCorporation shall have power to makeand adopt aConstitutionandBy-Laws, and to make rules and regulations for the admission, suspension,

andexpulsionof itsmembers, and their government, the number and election of

its officers, and to define theirduties, and for thesafe keeping of its property,

and, fromtime to time,toalter and modify such Constitution, By-Laws, Rules

andRegulations Untilanelection shall be held pursuant tosuchConstitution

andBy-Laws, the persons named in the first section of thisAct,shallbe,and

areherebydeclaredtobetheTrustees andManagersof saidCorporation anditsproperty

SEC 3 SaidCorporation may purchase and hold, or lease any real and

per-sonalestatenecessaryandproperfor thepurposes of its incorporation,providedthey shallnot hold real estate whichshall exceedonehundredthousand dollars

invalue

SEC 4 SaidCorporation shall possess the general powers, and be subject to

the restrictions and liabilities prescribed in the Third Title of the Eighteenth

Chapter ofthe FirstPartoftheRevised Statutes

SEC 5 ThisActshalltake effect immediately

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, I

I havecompared the precedingwith the originallaw onfile in thisoffice, and

dohereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, andofthewhole of saidoriginallaw

Given under my hand and seal of office at the cityofAlbany,

SEAL t thisfourteenthdayof April,in the year one thousand eight

hun-dred and sixty-nine

D WILLERS, JR.,

DeputySecretaryof State

At ameeting of the Trustees, held at the residence ofTheodoreRoosevelt,Esq., April8, 1869, the above charter was unanimously acceptedbyamajority

of the Trustees

AN ACT

TO DONATE TO THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY A COLLECTION

FROM THE DUPLICATE SPECIMENS OF NATURAL IIISTORY BELONG"ING TO THE STATE.

Passed May 8, 1869, by a two-thirds vote

The People of the State of New- York, represented in Senate andAssemblydoenactasfollows:

SEC 1 The Curatorof theState Cabinet,under direction of the Regentsof

theUniversity, is hereby authorized to selectfrom the duplicate specimensof

naturalhistory belonging to the State, and thosewhichtheStatemayacquire,andfrom allother specimens ofnaturalhistorywhichmay bedisposedofby the

Regents of theState,the first and best series of specimens, subject,however,to

therights ofotherinstitutionsunderexisting laws, and label thesame withtheir

proper scientific names, and present them in the name of the State to the

AmericanMuseumof Natural History,in theCity ofNew-York, allof whichis

to bedone at the expense of said Museum

SEC 2 This Actshall take effect immediately

STATE OFNEW-YORK, S

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, s

Ihavecompared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and

dohereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of thewholeof said original law

~_> TGiven under myhand andseal of office,at the City of Albany,

SEAL S thisseventeenth day of August, in the year one thousandeight

huii-dred andsixty-nine

D WILLERS, JR.,

1)eptuty Secretary of State

NEW-YORK, December 23, 1869

ANDREW H GREEN, Esq., Comptroller ofthe Central Park:

DEAR SIR-The Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History having

purchased the extensive collection of Mammals, Birds,Fishes, &c., belonging to

thelate Prince ofNeuwied, the Elliot collection of Birds, besides a part ofthe

Verreaux and othercollections of specimens of Natural Historv, desireto know

if theCommissioners of the CentralPark will receive them ondepositwithin the

Central Park, and.they wouldsuggestthefollowingasthe conditions uponwhich

they would liketodeposit them, namely:

FIsrst-The Commissioners of the Parktoprovide accommodationsinthe two

upperstoriesof thebuildingknownasthe Arsenal and such otherrooms asshallfrom time to tiuxe be necessary for the exhibitionofthecollectionsdepositedbythe American Museum,and shallcausethemtobefurnished withglasscasessuit-ableforthepreservation and exhibition of suchcollections

Second-The Trustees of the American Museum toemploytheir own Curators,

for thecare and arrangement of their collection, and topay them theirsalaries

allsuchpersons to be subject to the regulations of the Park Commissioners.Third-The Police force for the protection of the property, and the employeesfor the cleansingand generalcareofthe rooms,tobe employedand paid by theParkCommissioners

Fourthi-The Trustees and Curators of the American Museum tohave free

ac-cess atallreasonable timestotheroomsoccupiedby theircollections

P'ifth-Thecollections so depositedto be exhibitedtothepublicatleast threedays inthe week in thenameof the American Museumof Natural History, theTrusteestohave the rightto close thecollections at such timesasshall be neces-saryfor the arrangement and rearrangingotthe specimens,subjecttothe regulations

of the ParkCommissioners

Sixth-The collections alreadyacqutired.andthosewhichmayfrom time to time

beacquiredandsodeposited,to remain thepropertyofthe AmericanMuseum of

Natural History, tobe removed by them immediatelyafter the expiration of sixmonths' previous noticein writing to the Commissioners of the Park, or within

sixmonths' after receivingawrittennoticefiornthe Commissioners.asking them

towithdrawtheirpropertyfrom thePark

Awaiting the favor ofanearly reply, Iamii,

VTerytruly yours,

Wr. A HAINES,

Chairman Executive Committee

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CENTRAL PARK,

BANK OF COMMERCE BUILDING,

31 NASSAU ST., NEW-YORK, Jan "21, 1870.DEAR SIR-I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ofthe23d ultimo, relatingtothedeposits of certain collections with the Park Com-missioners by the American Museum of NaturalHistorv The termsupon which

it is proposedto makethese depositsare suchaswill,I think,securethe object

that theMuseum and the ParkCommissionersequallydesire,towit,an mentthat shall affordopportunityforpopularinstruction and amusement, and forthe advancement of the NaturalScienoes Iftheplanwhichinsures andcombines

establish-inthis enterprisethe interests andmeansof the privatecitizen,with those of thepublic, is productive of all the good resultsthat mayreasonablybe expected,itwillprobably be madeat once anexampleandincentive for uniting the energies

of those interested in other branches of science andartinsimilarundertakings

Inacceptingtheseextensive and valuable collectionsontheconditionsspecified,permitmetoexpress,onbehalfof the ParkCommissioners,theirhighappreciation

of theenlightenedsentiment that hasprovidedsogenerously for allinterested inthis department of science, and,at the same time, the hope that this auspiciousbeginning may, by the continued augmentation of similar liberalities, become an

unequalledtreasuryofscience,alikehonorableto thepublicspiritof the citizens

bywhom it has been inaugurated,and anindispensableaid tothose engaged in

effortstoincreasetheknowledgeof the science that it is intendedtoillustrate

Very respectfully and truly,

ANDREW H GREENY

Comptroller of the Park

W A HAINES, Esq.,

ChairmanoftheExecutive Committeeofthte Arnerican Mutseum

lo theHonorablethteLegislatureofthe State ofNew-York:

The undersigned, citizens of the City ofNew-York, respectfully petitioni that

authoritymavbe given tothe Department of Public Parks in said city to erectsuitablefire-proof buildingsupon the publiclands insaidcityundertheir charge,for theestablishment and maintenance therein ofaMuseumof Art by THE METRO-

POLITAN MUSEUM OF ART,incorporated by Act of April 13,1870,and a Museum

of NaturalHistoryby theAMERICAN MUSEUMOFNATURALHISTORY, incorporated

by Actof April6,1869,at anaggregate costnotexceeding five hundredthousand

dollars for each corporation

JOHN DAVID WOLFE .13 Madison Avenue.JOHN TAYLOR JOHNSTON 8FifthAvenue

JAMES BROWN .38East37th Street

ROBERT L STUART 154 FifthAvenue

WILSON G HUNT .82White Street

S J TILDEN 15GramercyPark

ROBERT COLGATE .14West 23dStreet

D JACKSON STEWARD 1.5.I0 Fifth Avenue

E D MORGAN 411 Fifth Avenue

ADRIAN ISELIN. . 23East26thStreet

WILLIAM T BLODGETT 182Broadway

BENJ H FIELD .21 East26thStreet

JOHN A DIX .3West21stStreet

I N PHELPS 229MadisonAvenue.JAMES STOKES .37 Madison Avenue.RICHARD MORTIMER .20East23dStreet

SAMUEL B F MORSE.. 5 West 22dStreet

JAMES B COLGATE 22East 23dStreet

DARLING, GRISWOLD & CO' FifthAvenueHotel.ARNOLD, CONSTABLE & CO Canal Street

SAMUEL L M BARLOW 1 IMadison Avenue

WM S GAIDLER .8 East 23dStreet

B H HUTTON .144 DuaneStreet

D WILLIS JAMES. . ParkAvenue,39thStreet

W E DODGE, JR .262Madison Avenue.BENJ B SHERMAN .16West 20thStreet.THEODORE ROOSEVELT 28East20thStreet

EDWARD MATTHEWS. 101FifthAvegne.

MORTON, BLISS.& CO .30Broad Street

J PIERPONT MORGAN 6East 40thStreet

JAMES M BROWN 31East30thStreet

HOWARD POTTER . 37East37th Street

A A LOW .31Burling Slip.

W A HAINES .376Broadway.;

S H WALES 620FifthAvenue

RICHARD BUTLER .45West46thStreet

J F KENSETT .AssociationBuilding.

C L TIFFANY 255MadisonAvenue

WILLIAM S ANDREWS . 7MurrayStreet

GEORGE OPDYKE .50 West47th Street

PARKER HANDY .22West10thStreet

JOHN H HALL 63ParkAvenue

WILLIAM J HOPPIN 878Broadway.

LUCIUS TUCKERMAN 220MadisonAvenue

GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS .Roslyn,L.I

HENRY G MARQUAND 21West 20thStreet

HENRY CLEWS .42WallStreet

ROBERT HOE, JR .29 West 19thStreet

WM H RAYNOR. ,,.137 West42dStreet

EX TR1A.CT

FROM

SECTION 2 TheBoard ofCommissioners ofthe Department of PublicParks,

intheCity of New-York, is herebv authorized to contract, erect,andmaintain

inand uponthat portion of the Central Park formerly known as Manhattan

Square, or any other public park, square or place in said city,asuitable proofbuilding for the purpose of establishing and maintaining therein, undersuitable rules and regulations, to be prescribed by the said Board from timeto

fir.e-time,aMuseum and Gallery ofArt,bytheMetropolitanMuseum ofArt,

incor-porated by chapterone hundred and ninety-seven, laws of eighteen hundred andseventy, or other institutions of like character;also, a suitable fire-proofbuildingfor thepurpose of establishing and maintaining therein,under rules andregula-

tionstobeprescribedby thesaid Boardfrom time totime,aMuseumofNatural

History,bythe American Museum of Natural History, incorporated by chapter

onehundred and nineteen, laws of eighteen hundred and sixtv-nine, orotherinstitutions of a like character, at an aggregate cost not exceeding asumofwhichtheannual interestatthe rate of interest at whichafundorstock shall

beissued,isthirty-five thousand dollars for each of said buildings, for theuse

of saidcorporationsorother institutions of a likecharacter; and itshallbethednty of and lawful for the Comptroller of the City of New-Yorktocreateandissue inthe manner in this Act provided, such additional amountsofapublic

fundor stock, tobe denominated the "Museums of Art and NaturalHistorystock," as shall be necessary to provide the money required for erecting said

buildings byanamountnotexceedingtheaforesaidlimitations

OF THE

Ameritan Y1R.stum of BathUraJ Istnrp.

IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK

A RTICLE I.

OF NATURAL HISTORY.

ARTICLE It.

others as they nay add to their numxiber, which shall not

exceed twenty-five in all at one time, shall be the Trustees

to mailage the affairs, property and business of the

be elected to fill his place by the remaining Trustees; buit

the vacancy which is to be filled; and every election of

at least three-fourths of the Trustees present.