engaged in veterinary practice, but exclusively devoted to teaching and research."

The Library. The President describes the alterations in Gore Hall by which a reading room with 250 seats and stacks capable of holding 220,000 volumes have been provided. The former capacity of Gore Hall was about 100,000. "The Librarian calls attention to the fact that regular symmetrical growth cannot be secured by the method for many years in operation in the Library, — the method, namely, of relying chiefly in ordering books on the suggestions received from a large number of professors for purchases in their respective departments. In a long period of time, such as fifty years, for example, a tolerably symmetrical development might be procured in this manner; but in any short period the development will be found to be unsymmetrical, because of the very different amounts of zeal for the acquisition of books which different professors exhibit. The Librarian also calls attention to the Library's practice of lending books to persons connected with other institutions, a practice which is developing, and which involves sending the books by express to considerable distances, as for instance to Texas, Kansas, and California. It is a fundamental principle in the University Library that the main reason for collecting and keeping books is to get them used, particularly by scholars, authors, and teachers."

The Herbarium has received large and valuable additions to its collections. The Curator has begun the publication of "The Synoptical Flora of North America," and Dr. Gray's "Field, Forest, and Garden Botany" has been issued in a new edition, revised by Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell. The Herbarium needs more money. "The generous gifts for immediate use, made by members of the Visiting Committee, will have been expended in about two years more. The present staff of the Herbarium consists of the Curator, two accomplished assistants engaged chiefly in determinative work, a collector, a librarian, and three aids employed in mounting and distributing specimens. To reduce this staff would mean either to diminish the rate of growth of the collection, or to prevent activity in contributing to the progress of Systematic Botany. It is impossible to contemplate with satisfaction either of these alternatives."

The Botanic Garden. It is desirable to substitute iron conservatories for the structures now in use. This would cost at least $30,000. Increased attendance of school children accompanied by their teachers is reported, and also of Summer School students. The general Museum of Botany advances towards completion. The Ware collection of glass flowers now numbers 573 species. "The funds of the Department yield

Garden leaves the Museum
These gifts have been large

an income sufficient for the current expenses of the Garden proper; but the application of all this income to the wholly dependent on gifts for present use. and frequent. Provision for the development of the Ware collection has already been made; but the Department needs permanent funds for the development of the rest of the Botanical Museum."

"The Arnold Arboretum was enlarged and improved during the year 1894-95 by a new contract made between the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the City of Boston, which was similar in scope and purpose to the contract of 1882 under which the interests of the public and the University have since been coöperatively developed. The total area of the Arboretum is now 222 acres, and the length of the roads when finished will be 23 miles. The new contract provides for a change in the line of Bussey Street, and leases to the President and Fellows, for Arboretum purposes, about 22 acres of land, the title to which was retained by the City in 1882. About 11 of these acres came in 1882 from the President and Fellows.

On the other hand, the City gets the permanent use for park purposes of about 72 acres of land, in addition to the original area of the Arboretum, without paying anything therefor."

The Chemical Laboratory has had a new laboratory provided in its basement, with desks for one hundred and sixteen men and lockers for twice that number. Thirteen investigations were published during the year, of which six were conducted mainly by Professor Jackson and seven mainly by Assistant Professor Richards.

The Physical Laboratory has seen its methods so widely employed in the preparatory schools, that nearly 70 per cent. of candidates for admission to Harvard College and the Scientific School have a knowledge of Experimental Physics. "The number of elementary courses in Physics offered by the Department might properly be somewhat increased, in order to meet the various wants of young men who come from the preparatory schools at different stages of preparation in the subject. Indeed, the careful arrangements of the language departments, in this respect, might well be copied by the scientific departments."

The Observatory. The Director did a large amount of work with the meridian photometer, "which led to the satisfactory conclusion that it is extremely improbable that the catalogues made with the meridian photometer are sensibly affected by errors of identification. It was also shown that the accuracy of individual settings was not materially increased by making them more deliberately. To secure the greatest accuracy, it is better to increase the number of evenings on which each star is observed, than to devote too much time to each setting. This has been, from the

beginning, the policy of the Director. The Observatory announces its willingness to lend its photographs to astronomers who desire to discuss photographs which they have not the opportunity of taking themselves. Investigations might thus be made of positions, of the distribution and brightness of stars in clusters, of the distribution of light in spectra, of peculiar spectra, and of other similar phenomena. The collection of photographs now affords a means of determining with certainty the variability of stars in any part of the sky. The value of the Boyden Station at Arequipa, in Peru, has been made plainer and plainer. The atmospheric conditions are unrivaled and the field of work is unlimited, little attention having been paid heretofore to the southern stars, as no large refracting telescope has ever been used south of latitude 35° north. The great need of the Station is a telescope of large size, to be used by an observer who can devote his time exclusively to visual observations. The Bruce telescope has started for Peru. It is evident that the Arequipa Station should be permanently maintained."

Museum of Comparative Zoology. The Curator advocates the establishment of a marine station, jointly with other universities, in connection with the station of the United States Fish Commission at Wood's Hole. Lack of space prevents the placing of any collections in either the Geological or Geographical exhibition rooms. The Museum publications were unusually large. "The Curator calls the attention of the Corporation to the embarrassed condition of the Museum. inevitable reduction in the average rate of interest earned on the investments of the Corporation, the income of the Museum steadily declines. The time must come when the gratuitous services of a competent Curator can no longer be obtained, and when the assistants required to preserve and develop the collections will have to be paid for their whole time such salaries as are paid at other institutions. From the founding of the Museum it has received a great deal of gratuitous service in all departments; but it cannot be hoped that this state of things will continue indefinitely. At present, the Curator maintains the scientific activity of the establishment largely at his own cost. This condition of things indicates that a considerable endowment will have to be secured, sooner or later, in order to maintain efficiency. The number of visitors to the exhibition rooms continues to increase, and is especially large on Sunday afternoons. The Curator points out that the usefulness of the collections to the public would be much increased if the Museum were able to employ competent guides, who would, at specified times, explain the more interesting features of the several exhibition rooms to the visitors then present. Some school-teachers, who have familiarized themselves beforehand with the most instructive contents of the exhibition rooms,

are in the habit of bringing their pupils in groups to see the Museum; and these guided groups are, of all visitors to the Museum, the most satisfactory."

Peabody Museum. Important additions were made, especially in the Hemenway, Rindge, and Englemann collections. Researches were carried on at Copan, Honduras. The collections have increased so fast that more room is needed. Two courses in Archaeology and Ethnology have been given. The resources are small, the income from funds being only $5,500, which must pay all salaries and other annual expenses. "The Museum therefore stands in need, not only of a great enlargement of its building, but of a permanent endowment with which to maintain an adequate staff."

The Semitic Museum made some desirable acquisitions during the year, and continues to attract the general public, as well as to add to the value of some of the Semitic courses of instruction.

The Fogg Art Museum. "The important decision concerning the conduct of the Museum is the decision to make it chiefly a collection of casts, electrotypes, and photographs. Since the building does not permit the proper display of any large number of casts, a selection has been carefully made of the best typical examples. A classified collection of electrotypes of coins is on exhibition. The collection of photographs is already large, amounting to nearly 15,000; and these photographs are accessible to all members of the University and to other suitable persons day and evening. They are classified in groups by epochs, and each group is subdivided into countries, and under each country into the departments of Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting. It is intended to make thorough trial of photographs as means for the comparative study of the Fine Arts. The exhibition of artistic objects for cursory inspection by the public is the secondary object of the Museum, the primary object being to provide means for thorough study and well-illustrated instruction."

Radcliffe College. "For the first time, women graduates in Arts were admitted to courses primarily for graduates in Harvard University; but the inroad was by no means alarming, only eight such courses being elected by twelve graduate students registered in Radcliffe. As the nature of the alliance between the College and the University becomes known to the public, the number of women graduates, registered in Radcliffe and attending Harvard University graduate courses, will surely increase. Indeed, the number of such students in attendance during the current year exhibits a decided increase. It is only through Radcliffe College that women graduates are admitted to the University courses." The Summer School. "The total number [of students] in all courses

rose from 493 in the summer of 1894 to 575 in 1895. The courses in English and in Physical Training were especially successful. More courses were offered in Cambridge than ever before; and the Dental School for the first time offered a summer course. The courses which experience proves to be demanded are courses in English, German, French, American History, Education and Teaching, Solid Geometry, Trigonometry, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Physical Geography, Geology, and Physical Training, in addition to the summer courses of the Medical School and the Dental School. Other subjects, like field work in Engineering, for example, might doubtless be made successful; but those enumerated have actually succeeded. Many University teachers are glad to take part in the work during the first half of the vacation, and many teachers in schools and other colleges resort to the courses, having become convinced that the whole of the long vacation is not necessary for recreation, and also that by exclusive devotion to one subject for six weeks substantial acquisitions may be made, particularly by persons of mature minds and trained powers of application. The University is of course glad to have its resources utilized during almost half of the long vacation."

After alluding to the concerts which, under the direction of Mr. Henry L. Higginson, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has given in Sanders Theatre since 1881-82, and to the excellence of the choir in Appleton Chapel, President Eliot discusses the eating accommodations for students. He shows that, although the Memorial Hall Dining Association has long been overcrowded, private persons have not succeeded in maintaining boarding-places which are both cheap and satisfactory. The Foxcroft Club, where about 350 men eat, provides food at from $2.50 to $2.80. More dormitories for poor students are needed. "The policy of the College, in regard to dormitories, has been to build them as fast as gifts applicable to that purpose are received, and to contribute the land needed. In regard to another dining-hall it would gladly carry out the same policy, if the object should commend itself to some intending benefactor. To provide an enlarged Foxcroft Club with a plain but substantial and well-equipped hall and kitchen would require about $70,000."

Health. The President reviews the report of the Medical Examiner, who made 660 visits to students in their rooms, and had about 600 consultations at his office, all of which were gratuitous. "It is obvious that there is a need of an infirmary for students; but the Corporation have no means of providing one."

Finances. "Three departments of the University had deficits for the year, namely, the Medical School, the Lawrence Scientific School, and