than this, about 60,000 volumes, supposed to be those in least demand, were stored in the basement of Perkins Hall; about 15,000 reference books and the current periodicals were placed in the Lower Massachusetts Hall, making that apartment a temporary reading room, and many other thousands of volumes were scattered among the special libraries of the University, so that they could be easily accessible.

The new plan will give by the removal of the lower alcoves in the Delivery Room, increased space for the card-catalogue and the public; but the great change will consist of the complete reconstruction of the interior of the original Gore Hall building. This structure has been stripped to the bare walls. A three-story stack will be placed in the lower portion of the empty shell, which will bring the second story of the stack on the level of the Delivery Room floor. Space will be taken out of this second and third floor of the stack for a staircase to the Reading Room. This new apartment vestry in the upper stack, will have a new roof for its ceiling, which will have a skylight running its whole length. This roof will be as far above the floor of the new Reading Room, as the suspended plaster ceiling was above the old one. The windows will be stripped of their old tracery and diamond lights, and fitted with clear glass. Tables with reading racks and swivel chairs will give space for readers twice in number of those hitherto accommodated. There will also be ample space for current periodicals and the reference and "reserved" books. An elevated desk near the stairway will give a commanding position to the keeper of the room. There will be between the towers small consultation rooms at each end of each floor of the new stack. A door will connect the Reading Room with the apartment over the Delivery Room, affording additional space for books and readers. The old boiler room (beneath the Delivery Room) will be fitted for newspapers and pamphlets. The entire building, new and old, will be wired for electric bulbs, 1,200 in number.

The contract calls for the completion of the work by the opening of the next college year. Some delay is sure to occur in arrangement and adjustment after the workmen have left, and it is to be hoped the contractors will not be behind their agreement. These changes will allow the classifications of the collection to be completed, but the space for doing it is still contracted, and the books will be slowly returned from the outer depositories. Enough additional shelving is secured to prevent crowding for a few years only; and there will still exist the urgent necessity for a new and extensive reading room outside the present walls. Such a structure should also give increased accommodations for official quarters and professors' rooms. When ultimately this new reading room is secured, the three-story stack in Gore Hall can be carried up four more

stories, thus making it the chief store-room of the collections. The plan now in progress seemed under the circumstances, the most advisable method of securing the temporary relief, for which the call was imperative. Very little of the $50,000 which the changes may cost will be spent in a way to be ultimately sacrificed, as almost all of the work will make part of the future seven-story stack.

The Corporation have courageously met the financial difficulties of the case, and have preferred to do their utmost with means at their disposal, rather than call for aid from without at a time unfavorable for a generous response.

THE FOGG MUSEUM.

Justin Winsor, '53.

Work on the interior fittings of the Fogg Art Museum is well advanced, and cases of objects which are to form the collections are being received. It is expected that the Museum will be opened to students of the University and the general public on October 1st, and it is the intention of the Corporation to have it open evenings as well as during the daytime. The collections will consist chiefly of plaster casts and photographs of works of art of all epochs and all countries. The number of casts displayed must be comparatively small on account of the limited space afforded but the collection will be synoptical and sufficient to illustrate what is most important. The collection of photographs will be large. It is hoped that in the near future a wide range of material for the study of every branch of the Fine Arts may be afforded through photography. Arrangements are making for the convenient examination of photographs, and an attendant will be constantly present to make them accessible. In addition to the casts and photographs, the collection will comprise an extended classified series of electrotypes of Greek and Roman coins loaned by the Classical Department, and a small collection of Greek vases - among which are some of great beauty, loaned by Mr. E. P. Warren, '83.

Charles H. Moore, A. M., '90, Curator.

SEMITIC. 1894-95.

In the absence of Professor Toy in Europe highly acceptable assistance has this year been given by Prof. G. F. Moore of Andover. Professor Moore lectured on Hebrew Literature, Hebrew Religion, the Book of Judges, and Arabic. In Arabic and Ethiopic we also had the valuable help of Dr. C. C. Torrey of Andover. During his year abroad Professor Toy has been working on his edition of Ezekiel and on the commentary on Proverbs. — Dr. G. A. Reisner, who has spent two years abroad, mainly in Berlin, will soon publish for the Berlin Museum a large

collection of cuneiform tablets. The authorities are so well pleased with this work that they have requested Dr. Reisner to become "assistant" for one year in the Asiatic Department of the Museum, and to undertake the publication of another class of the cuneiform inscriptions. He thus has the opportunity to continue his researches under the most favorable conditions. At the close of the last college year Dr. Reisner was appointed John Harvard Fellow for 1895-96. - Dr. F. D. Chester, who has been assistant in the Department for three years, has been appointed Rogers Fellow. His special interest is Arabic, and he will spend a portion of his time abroad among Arabic-speaking peoples. E. J. Banks likewise goes abroad to continue his Semitic studies. I. J. Peritz, who has been with us for the past three years, has received an appointment at Syracuse University. His work will lie at first partly outside of the Semitic field, but his enthusiasm for his chosen subject will doubtless soon open the for concentration of his efforts. The use of the Semitic way Library increased very considerably the past year, keys being held by about 75 students. The room is a quiet retreat for students who live remote from the lecture rooms, and especially for such as do not live in Cambridge. There are now about 500 volumes. So many books are required for reference in some of the Semitic courses that this library adds greatly to the efficiency of the Department. Notwithstanding the large resort to the room, there has been little cause for complaint, and the loss of books has been insignificant. There is an annual change of the lock and students pay a small fee for the keys. — The additions to the Semitic Museum during the year have not been numerous, but we have acquired, through the generosity of Messrs. J. H. Schiff and H. C. Warren, '79, one object of extraordinary interest. This is a beautiful alabaster tablet, 12 inches long and 9 inches wide, containing a long inscription of Ramman-nirari, king of Assyria about 1350 B. C. The tablet comes from the ruins of a temple at the old Assyrian capital, Asshur, and records the restoration of this temple by Ramman-nirari. It was offered for sale in Constantinople some four years ago, and afterwards in Paris. It was likewise exhibited at the World's Fair in Chicago. After this it was offered for sale in New York by the owner, Mr. D. G. Kelekian, and thence brought by him to Cambridge in April, 1894. This tablet is of great interest, not only because it is the earliest long inscription of an Assyrian king, but also because of extensive changes made in the text by the hand of a reviser, very soon after the original writing. The work of the reviser is easily distinguishable from that of the original writer, and the tablet is of great value for text criticism and for the light which it casts on the methods pursued by Assyrian scribes. The interest of the tablet is intensified by compari

son with an imperfect duplicate belonging to the British Museum. The Semitic Building may be said to have advanced a little during the year. We have now provisional subscriptions of half the amount necessary for its erection. The building is sorely needed in order to concentrate the teaching, the library, and the museum. Other universities are moving in the same direction. Chicago University is now actually erecting its Oriental Building, due to a recent gift of $100,000. The University of Pennsylvania is reported to have advanced far in its effort to secure $200,000 for a similar object. It is earnestly hoped that friends of Semitic learning will soon make it possible for us also to begin to build. - With the expansion of the work the double duty of the Department becomes clearer and more emphatic, to train scholars and to contribute to general culture. For the scholars, those who intend to become teachers and investigators, the linguistic courses are specially designed. For purposes of general culture we have the historical courses, more recently added and not requiring a knowledge of the languages. These courses cover Babylonian-Assyrian history, the political-social history of the Hebrews, the history of Hebrew Literature and of Hebrew Religion, and the history of the Bagdad Califate and the Spanish Califate. While the courses on Hebrew history were originally designed to meet the needs of divinity students, the subjects which they treat are of a kind which no well cultivated man can afford to ignore. The only limitations to these courses are that they are not open to Freshmen, and that the course on Hebrew Literature implies a knowledge of the course on political-social history, while that on Hebrew Religion implies a knowledge of both the others. The method of conducting all the historical courses is such that satisfactory results can be attained only by those who have reached a certain independence in the use of books. While a knowledge of German has not yet been required for real proficiency in any Semitic study, it may be considered indispensable.

MEDICAL SCHOOL.

D. G. Lyon.

Summer vacation by no means puts a stop to the activity of the Medical School. The large number of courses attracts graduates from all over the country and also several undergraduates avail themselves of the chance to do anticipatory work or to make special investigations in the laboratories. At the same time the Bacteriological Laboratory continues in active operation, making examinations for the suspected diphtheria cases of the city and carrying on the routine work for the City's Antitoxine plant. In like manner the Pathological Laboratory carries on its investigations from the material furnished by the hospitals. Among the most popular courses is Dr. Ernst's Bacteriological Course, where there are several physicians and instructors in other medical schools and some

Yale men.

Dr. Gannett's Course in Clinical Medicine is also very fully attended, the men being attracted by the clear, careful demonstration of this popular instructor. The Course in Medical Chemistry under Dr. Ogden also is large. Many of the courses where the numbers are limited have their full contingent of students. At the same time there are many men who are working as assistants in the various hospital clinics. As to the exact numbers in the summer school it is impossible to give any estimate, as so many of the courses do not begin till after Aug. 1, but so far this year there has been no falling off in the numbers taking the summer

courses.

THE DENTAL SCHOOL.

A. K. Stone, '83.

Commencement closed another successful year for the Dental School. Seventeen students received their degree. Of those who went up for final examination five failed to pass. The changes in the building last season made the accommodation very convenient for this year, but the large size of the present First Year Class has made further increase of facilities imperative to provide for the coming year. This year the Third Year Class numbered 21, the Second Year Class, 19, and the First Year, 40. Of these latter 28 have passed their examination so as to qualify them to go on to the Second Year Class. These with the present Second Year Class will make 46 men to be provided for.-The Operative Department has room to do so comfortably, but the Mechanical Laboratory will be crowded to its utmost; indeed, the present class was inadequately accommodated, especially as to chairs and room to serve patients. There is but little change in the personnel of the corps of instructors for the coming year. Dr. C. M. Keep, who served as instructor in Operative Dentistry for the past year, felt unable to accept a reappointment, and Dr. Frank T. Taylor, d'90, has been appointed to the position.-The Museum has lately received a very interesting contribution by the will of the late Dr. Elisha Tucker, of Boston, who died in May last at the age of 87. He left all of his dental instruments to the Harvard Dental School. As he commenced practice 60 years ago, his collection of instruments shows very nearly the whole history of American dental instruments. Mrs. Tucker and her son kindly gave the operating case, which Dr. Tucker had used during the 60 years of his practice, to go with the instruments. The whole outfit has long been noted for its elegance and excellence. — The room available for the use of the Museum is entirely too small and not at all suited for a proper disposition of its contents for observation and study. The protracted illness of the Professor of Mechanical Dentistry has deprived the School of his services as lecturer during the year.— Dr. Wm. H. Potter, one of the clinical lecturers, extended his course through the second half year, and thus enabled the Professor of Operative Den