40 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 



A unique accession was the last of the passenger pigeons, Ectojnstes 

 migratorius. This individual, which had been carefully tended for 

 many years in the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens, died on September 

 1, 1914, and its body in the flesh was generously presented to the 

 Museum by that establishment. It was known as " Martha " and is 

 said to have been hatched in the Gardens in 1885, having conse- 

 quently attained an age of 29 years. The skin, excellently mounted 

 by Mr. Nelson R. Wood, was placed on exhibition, while the body, 

 after its anatomy had been studied, was preserved in alcohol. With 

 the death of this individual one of the most interesting and beautiful 

 of North American birds became extinct. Dr. C. AV. Richmond, in 

 commenting on this acquisition observes: "In the language of the 

 committee reporting the first game laws enacted in Ohio, in 1857, 

 ' The passenger pigeon needs no protection. Wonderfully prolific, 

 having the vast forests of the North as its breeding grounds, travel- 

 ling hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here today and else- 

 where tomorrow^ and no ordinary destruction can lessen them or 

 [any] be missed from the myriads that are yearly produced.' It is 

 truly the irony of fate that the final extinction of this species should 

 take place in the same State 57 years later." 



The rearrangement of the study series of skins was continued as 

 opportunity offered, and as much progress made as could be expected 

 with the present inadequate facilities. The work was carried through 

 24 half-unit cases, comprising the remainder of the birds of prey, all 

 of the Steganopodes (pelicans, cormorants, gannets, etc.), the flamin- 

 goes, the swans, and a part of the ducks. As the task proceeds it is 

 found that more case room is required than was at first anticipated, 

 owing partly to the previous crowding of the larger and especially 

 the aquatic birds, and partly to the many large specimens recently 

 withdrawn from the exhibition series and remade into skins. In 

 connection with the transfers to the reserve series, all of the speci- 

 mens are relabeled, a labor often requiring extended search in the 

 catalogues to verify the records and correct errors, some of which 

 date back to the original numbering of early days, while others are 

 incidental to the change from mounted specimens to skins. The 

 search for missing type specimens was continued but with indifferent 

 results, only two having been located. 



Good progress is reported in sorting and arranging the collection 

 of skulls, breast bones and skeletons received during the year, among 

 them having been a large quantity of old material found in the 

 osteological storage and turned over to the division. INIany of the 

 specimens were placed in suitable containers and labeled, and a con- 

 siderable mass of material was picked out for preparation by the 

 cleaners. There remains, however, a great deal to do before the 



