EEPORT OF NATIONAL. MUSEUM, 1923. 59 



tags where necessary, and placed in smaller or more suitable jars, 

 with fresh alcohol. The accessions of the year were all catalogued, 

 tagged, labeled, and placed in suitable jars. In the skeleton collection, 

 390 cleaned specimens and parts of skeletons were placed in proper 

 containers, labeled and distributed in the collections, while a con- 

 siderable lot of material still awaiting labels remains to be checked 

 off and distributed. A large part of the skeletons received from the 

 Biological Survey expedition of 1920-21 to South America has now 

 been cleaned, and with the Hoy material from Australia constitutes 

 the most important additions to the series of genera and species now 

 r.vailable in the cleaned collection. About half of the individual 

 bones in the skeleton collection have now been numbered, and it is 

 hoped this work will be completed in the near future. It is often 

 necessary, in making studies of fossil bones or cave-material, or in 

 any other osteological comparative work, to lay out for comparison 

 the individual bones, say of the humerus, tibia, or femur, or sev- 

 eral species, and if the bones are not already numbered (insuring 

 their proper return to the specimens of which they form a part), 

 great care must be exercised to retain their identity until they are 

 ready for replacement with the specimen to which they belong. 

 Where the bones have been duly numbered, this part of the work of 

 assortment and comparison is made much easier. Progress in bring- 

 ing the skeleton series into shape is due to the volunteer help of Dr. 

 A-lexander Wetmore, with the occasional assistance of a temporary 

 cataloguer. The condition of the study collection of skins is sat- 

 isfactory, insofar as there has been no deterioration during the year 

 other than the imperceptible continuous oxidation of greasy skins 

 especially of the water birds. A small beginning was made toward 

 correcting minor defects in labeling, cleaning of fat, repairing older 

 and badly prepared material, but it is hoped more progress may be 

 made in the coming year. The collection of eggs and nests is un- 

 changed; little or nothing has been done to improve the collection 

 by adding the accumulations of the past year or two to the arranged 

 series. However, this does not mean deterioration or decay in the 

 collection, but simply that the specimens have not been " distributed '• 

 in the series, this being a more involved matter than in bird skins- 

 The alcoholic collection has been inspected and found in satisfactory 

 condition. Material received during the year has been properly 

 cared for and labeled. Some of the old material has been gone over 

 and restored to better condition, as detailed elsewhere. The skeleton 

 collection, thanks to Doctor Wetmore's supervision, has been im- 

 proved in appearance and usefulness, and is being brought into a 

 very satisfactory order for ready reference. 



In the division of reptiles and batrachians about 1,900 specimens; 

 were installed in permanent places in the storage room. In addi- 



