1897.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 543 



in some departments, owing to the need of cases, seriously affects 

 their examination and use by students. 



The most noteworthy change in the arrangement of the museum 

 during the year has been the transfer of the wall cases on the bird 

 gallery to the basement of the new building, where a commodious 

 storage department has been arranged for the reception of the great 

 bulk of the alcoholic preparations. 



The entire series of fishes and alcoholic mollusca have already 

 been arranged in their new quarters, and are much more accessible 

 to the student, besides being entirely protected from the dampness 

 which, in their old situation, seriously affected the preservation of 

 the labels. 



The entire collection of fishes, numbering upward of fifteen thou- 

 sand, has been catalogued by Mr. Henry W. Fowler, and supple- 

 mentary labels placed inside the jars to ensure the preservation of 

 the data. 



The work of cataloguing and renovating the ornithological col- 

 lection, which has been in progress for several years past, has been 

 brought to completion. 



The remounted exhibition collection is ready for removal to the 

 third floor of the new building, as soon as sufficient cases can be 

 procured. 



A start has already been made in the furnishing of this floor, and 

 one handsome plate-glass case has been placed in position, in which 

 will be arranged a synoptical collection representing the principal 

 orders of birds. 



A similar case has been placed in the Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey room for the accommodation of the Delaware Valley 

 Ornithological Club Collection of local birds with nests and eggs, 

 which is now nearly complete. For the storage of bird skins addi- 

 tional space has been allotted adjoining the room of the Ornitholog- 

 ical Section. 



In the mammal hall attention is called to the group of Alaskan 

 Fur Seals, collected by Dr. Sharp and Mr. J. M. Justice, which 

 has been mounted during the year, and is now displayed in a large 

 plate-glass case. 



Numerous other animals have been mounted by the taxidermist 

 during the past year, all of which maintain the high standard of 

 work which has characterized the specimens prepared for museum 

 exhibition in the past few years. 



