EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 53 



in storage for some years, and remounted the okapi skeleton. During 

 the hatter part of the year, his time was entirely occupied in connec- 

 tion with the moving of the whale collection and its arrangement in 

 the new building. Mr. William Palmer, preparator, combined the 

 two groups of Carolina parrakeets into one, which included the mod- 

 eling of a large hollow tree and the making and arrangement of new 

 accessories. He also moved to the new building, and repaired and 

 repainted, the models of the giant squid and octopus, and greatly 

 improved the fauna! exhibit of the District of Colmnbia, both by 

 preparatorial work and by the addition of species of mammals, birds, 

 reptiles and batrachians. 



Exhibition collection. — Wliile no large groups of mammals were 

 added to the exhibition series, several of those previously installed 

 were materially changed and improved. ^A^ien the African groups 

 of buffaloes and zebras were prepared a few years ago there were no 

 accessories from Africa at hand and material from local sources was 

 introduced, pending arrangements for representing these animals in 

 settings actually illustrating their natural environment, as was done 

 with so much success in connection with the hartebeest and rhinoce- 

 ros. Upon the arrival from Africa, during last year, of the necessary 

 material, these two groups were revised by their builder, Mr. Turner. 

 The buffaloes are now represented on the edge of a papyrus swamp, 

 the highly characteristic habitat of this animal, producing a striking 

 scene not to be witnessed elsewhere than in the home of this animal, 

 and the substitution of this peculiar vegetation effectually breaks up 

 the monotony of the surroundings of the other groups, which show 

 various phases of the arid regions. The new accessories of the zebra 

 group, though naturally characteristic of the arid regions, present an 

 aspect distinct from that of the others through the introduction of 

 broken volcanic rock and different vegetation. The appearance of 

 another mammal group, that of the Spitsbergen polar bear with its 

 two cubs bending over a young seal carcass, was also improved by 

 being transferred to a larger case, with a new and more effective base. 



Of new individual mountings introduced in the mammal series, 

 especially noteworthy was the large and rare Pere David deer from 

 China, differing strikingly from all other deer in the length of its 

 tail and the peculiar shape of its antlers. Another equallj^ remark- 

 able form was the long-necked antelope, known in its African 

 habitat as the gerenuk, characterized by the extreme elongation of 

 its legs, neck, and lips, whereby it is enabled to browse upon the 

 leaves of shrubs and trees to a considerable distance from the ground. 

 A fine specimen of the large Paraguay jaguar was also added, and 

 new and excellent preparations of the male Virginia deer and the 

 Australian dog, the dingo, replaced old and poorly mounted skins of 

 the same forms. Less conspicuous, but of equal importance to the 



