1886.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 3T5 



may be conveniently studied and determined. This work is now 

 accomplished in great part. 



Some attention has been given during the year to the re- 

 arranging of the collections of Yertebrata. The lizards have' 

 been removed from the south wall of the second gallery to the 

 east wall, and the amphibians to the north wall, thereby placing 

 the collection of reptiles in a continuous series. In the depart- 

 ment of Ornithology, beyond a general oversight of the collec- 

 tions, no work has been accomplished. Some four or five 

 Dermestes-eaten specimens, which had apparently not been 

 properly cured, have been permanently removed from the cases, 

 being no longer fit for exhibition. Barring such sporadic cases 

 of destruction the collection is in a fairly good condition ; never- 

 theless, it is absolutely necessary that an early examination of 

 all the specimens be made by an expert taxidermist, and such 

 steps be taken as will insure the collection from further loss. 



Work in the department of Vertebrate Paleontology has been 

 almost exclusively restricted to the collections of mammals and 

 fishes ; both of these have been entirely re-arranged, and are 

 now much more accessible than they have been heretofore. The 

 large specimens of fossil reptiles from the Lias of England, the 

 valuable gift of Dr. T. B. Wilson, which had been built up into 

 cases on the main floor of the Museum, have been permanently 

 placed on the wall surface of the vestibule, where they are dis- 

 played to good advantage. It is designed to cover the remainder 

 of the wall-space with two large maps, respectively illustrative 

 of the geology of the national domain and of the zoogeographi- 

 cal regions of the earth's surface. The undersigned has charged 

 himself with the preparation of this work. 



The collection of alcoholics is in good condition, the entire 

 series having been overhauled as in previous years. Consider- 

 able alteration has been made in the disposition of the cases 

 throughout the Museum hall, and much floor space has been 

 gained thereby ; but such gains are far from sufficient to satisfy 

 the wants of the institution, the future usefulness of which will 

 be largely impaired unless immediate aid toward the erection of 

 an extension to the present building is aff'orded. It is well within 

 the truth to say that the existing collections, if properly displayed, 

 would completely fill a building of twice the dimensions of the 

 present one. The large and very valuable collections of the 



