112 BEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1914. 



from New Mexico to Prof. J. C. Arthur, of Purdue University; 

 lichens of the genus Ramalina to Dr. R. H. Howe, of Concord, JNIass. ; 

 tropical American plants to the Eoyal Botanical Garden and INIu- 

 seum, Berlin, Germany ; specimens of Solanaceae to Dr. Georg Bitter, 

 Bremen, Germany; a large series of Dryopteris for study by Mr. 

 Carl Christensen in connection with his extended monograph of the 

 tropical American species of the genus, to the Botanical Museum of 

 the University, Copenhagen, Denmark; lichens, mainly from Aus- 

 tralia and New Zealand, to Mr. G. K. Merrill, Rockland, Me. ; speci- 

 mens of Chamaes3^ce, for study b}'^ Dr. C. F. Millspaugh, to the Field 

 Museum of Natural History ; and specimens of Xanthium, for study 

 by Dr. T. J. Widder, and of tropical American Gesneriaceae, mainly 

 from Panama, for study by Dr. K. Fritzsch, to the Institute for 

 Systematic Botany, Graz, Austria. 



Work of preparators. — Having previously completed, so far as the 

 material permitted, the principal new and prominent features for the 

 exhibition series, especially of mammals and birds, the preparators 

 were mainly occupied during last year in mounting smaller speci- 

 mens and in renewing and improving the specimens from the older 

 collections, which had to a large extent been installed in the new 

 building Avithout waiting for the renovation which their condition 

 demanded. The collection still contains much material which should 

 be replaced when better specimens can be obtained, and until this is 

 done the exhibition as a Avhole must be regarded as below the proper 

 standard. The work which this involves, although not as spec- 

 tacular as the building of large groups, is as important from the 

 museum standpoint and as necessary for the lessons designed to be 

 illustrated. 



Mr. George B. Turner, chief taxidermist, and his assistant, Mr. 

 William L. Brown, finished the mounting of the reticulated giraffe, 

 which is an especially effective piece of taxidermy, and also of the 

 giant eland and the greater koodoo, both from East Africa, as well 

 as of a specimen of the fallow deer, a common European species not 

 hitherto represented in the exhibition halls. A fine specimen of the 

 rare Pere David deer, Elaphurus davidlanvs, from China, was also 

 in course of preparation at the end of the year. 



Mr. N. R. Wood, the bird taxidermist, mounted for exhibition 74 

 skins, mostly of African birds, including the 5 chicks of the ostrich 

 group and 11 fresh skins. He also remounted 30 specimens and 

 renovated or changed to other pedestals 22 specimens. Mr. George 

 Marshall was mainly engaged in mounting small mammals, in which 

 the exhibition series is exceedingly deficient except in the North 

 American section. 



The work done in the osteological laboratory under Mr. J. W. 

 ScoUick consisted in cleaning 938 mammal skulls, besides skeletons 



