A collection of living snakes has been obtained through the 

 interest of a friend of the Museum and forms a new departure 

 in vertebrate zoology. In view of the difficulty of satisfacto- 

 rily preserving reptiles for exhibition, and of the small care and 

 expense of keeping them alive, it seems desirable to make this 

 collection a permanent feature of the Museum. Fishes are 

 another group of which the same conditions are true and at 

 some future time it is hoped that aquaria may be installed, in 

 which fishes and characteristic invertebrates may be kept. 



A number of skins of birds and small mammals have been 

 prepared during the year and a much needed zinc-lined, insect- 

 proof case provided for their storage. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne, 

 honorary curator of birds, has presented to the Museum a skin 

 of the Carolina Paroquet, taken by him in Florida in 1892. 

 This is the only species of parrot native to the United States 

 and was formerly abundant in South Carolina, but is now very 

 nearly if not quite extinct in Florida, its last stronghold. The 

 Museum has but one other specimen and that in very poor con- 

 dition, so that this skin is an important accession. 



Geology 



The honorary curator of this department. Professor D. S. 

 Martin, spent two months in further revision of the collections, 

 with the result that the department is now very nearly estab- 

 lished on a working basis. Professor Martin's plans for the 

 development of the department promise extensive additions 

 of important material and the installation of exhibits of great 

 scientific interest. The Director further hopes to install indus- 

 trial and economic exhibits on an extensive scale. 



The importance of increasing the collection of fossils from the 



phosphate beds is again urged. 



Anthropology 



Since the preliminary revision of this department in 1907, as 



6 



