1893.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 559 



specimens or collections as had been temporarily removed or were 

 stored away so as to be inaccessible to the student. 



As a result most of the collections are now in an excellent state of 

 preservation. 



Lack of space has prevented the proper systematic arrange- 

 ment of the specimens and in many cases has necessitated the crowd- 

 ing of the collections to a degree entirely inconsistent with their 

 proper display. This state of affairs has continually been an obstacle 

 in the way of the work of the Curators tor many years past, but 

 will now very soon be remedied by the opening of the new museum 

 building which will furnish ample space for the proper display of 

 the various collections. 



During the past year, although no general rearrangement of the 

 collections was possible, a slight change has been made in the posi- 

 tion of some of the cases on the lower floor ot the museum and by this 

 means many of the specimens have been displayed to much better 

 advantage. 



The collection of fossil fishes has been removed from the upright 

 cases and a series of typical specimens displayed in the flat table 

 cases, while the remainder have been arranged in glass-covered 

 drawers immediately beneath, where they are readily accessible for 

 study. 



By this arrangement two large upright cases have been made 

 available for the display of the additions to the mounted collection 

 of mammals. A handsome case presented by the Women's Silk 

 Culture Association has been used for the same purpose. 



A great deal of important work has been accomplished in the or- 

 nithological department during the year. Almost the entire 

 mounted collection of water birds, numbering about 2,000 specimens, 

 has been thoroughly gone over and all desirable specimens re- 

 mounted and renovated, while many of the duplicates and un- 

 sightly specimens have been unmounted and arranged in drawers 

 with the study series of skins. 



This work has immensely improved the appearance of the col- 

 lection and will ensure the preservation of the specimens for many 

 years to come. 



A more detailed account of the work in this department will be 

 found in the report of the Ornithological Section. 



Mr. McCadden, the taxidermist of the Academy, in addition to 



