Vol. V] EVERMANN— DIRECTOR'S REPORT FOR 1915 205 



Some of these shipments are regarded as experimental. 

 It is not certain that the eik will do well in all the places to 

 which they were sent. This is particularly true of the north- 

 ern shipments to Sacramento, Petaluma, and Mendocino 

 County, although reports received froni Sacramento and Peta- 

 luma state that their elk are doing well. A report recently 

 received regarding the Mendocino shipment is not so favor- 

 able. Nine of the 12 have died. The winter there has been 

 unusually severe, with unprecedentedly heavy snow. It Is 

 believed that the climatic conditions in that part of the State 

 are too severe for this species, whose natural habitat is further 

 south in a milder climate. 



The reports regarding the shipments of 1914 are uniformly 

 favorable. They indicate that the elk are doing well in all 

 places. The animals have grown markedly, several fawns have 

 been born, and all are in good condition. 



It is hoped and believed that these transplantings will aid 

 materially in preventing the extinction of this interesting spe- 

 cies of big game. 



DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES 



Owing to the demands of building, moving and installa- 

 tion, the activities of the respective departments were neces- 

 sarily greatly restricted. Getting the collections ready for 

 transfer, then the actual moving, followed by the installation 

 in the new quarters, engaged the curators and their assistants 

 during the larger part of the year. Nevertheless each depart- 

 ment was able to accomplish considerable additional work of 

 importance. 



1. Department of Herpetology. — The assistant curator 

 spent several weeks engaged in field work in southern Cali- 

 fornia which resulted in considerable additions to the collec- 

 tions. During the year the total number of specimens in this 

 department was increased from 31,470 to 32,280. Among the 

 additions is a specimen of the very rare species of gigantic 

 land tortoise of Aldabra. 



In spite of the work and confusion incident to moving, 

 the regular routine work of caring for the collections has 

 progressed, and much has been done in the way of classifica- 

 tion, labeling, arranging, and card cataloguing. 



