40 KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 



of Dr. J. C. Thompson, U. S. Navy, aiiiono; the Tortiigas Islands; of 

 the Gulf Biological Station about Cameron, Louisiana ; of Dr. Glover 

 M. Allen in eastern Labrador ; and of Mr. Owen Bryant and Dr. W. T. 

 Grenfell in Newfoundland. Dr. C. G. Abbot, Director of the Smith- 

 sonian Astrophysical Observatory, made a small but valuable collec- 

 tion of marine animals at Flint Island, near Tahiti, while engaged 

 in preparations for observing the solar eclipse of Januaiy 3, 1908. 

 Acknowledgments are also due to Dr. Holton C. Curl, U. S. Navy, 

 for his active cooperation in interesting persons in authority to secure 

 material from the Philippine Islands and elsewhere. 



Important researches Avere carried on by the members of the scien- 

 tific staff as a basis for the classification of the collections, and the 

 publications of the year were especially extensive and valuable. But 

 few sets of specimens were distributed to educational institutions, as 

 little opportunity was found for the separation of duplicates and 

 their labeling and packing for this purjiose. The exchanges were also 

 limited for the same reason, consisting mainly of insects, fishes, and 

 marine invertebrates. The number of specimens sent to specialists 

 outside of Washington for study and description was very large. 



Mammals. — The extensive collections from Doctor Abbott and 

 Doctor Mearns have been referred to above. Noteworthy among the 

 other additions is a fine specimen of the rare Chinese antelope known 

 as the Takin (Budoreas), presented by Mr. Mason Mitchell, Amer- 

 ican consul at Chungking. It is ])robably the only complete skin in 

 America. Dr. J. C. Le Hardy, U. S. Army, contributed a skin of the 

 Tamarao or dwarf wild carabao of the Philippine Islands, the first 

 of this rare species to reach the Muspum. The head and horns of a 

 specimen of the large feral or wild carabao w^ere presented by Col. 

 E. B. Babbitt, U. S. Army, through Capt. Frank R. McCoy,' U. S. 

 Army. From the National Zoological Park 186 animals, chiefly 

 mammals, were received, including many large and important forms, 

 such as the mule deer, pronghorn, Duvaucel's deer, spring buck, lion, 

 2)uma, Alaska grizzly bear, black bear, California sea lion, Steller's 

 sea lion, moufflon, zebu, and gray kangaroo. A series of 1G() antlers 

 and 2f) scalps of the American elk from the Jackson Hole region, 

 western Wyoming, was transmitted through the Department of Jus- 

 tice. The antlers are of unusual size and together probably consti- 

 tute the largest collection from one locality to be found in any 

 museum. They are especially valuable for the study of individual 

 variation in this species of deer. A skeleton of the porpoise known 

 as Steno rostratus was purchased. Although skulls of porpoises of 

 this genus are common in the larger museums, only a very few skele- 

 tons have been preserved. 



In continuation of work done last year, all the skins of insectivores, 

 squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, flying squirrels. Old World 



