700 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [DeC, 



the study collections, which, as stated in last year's report, had 

 nearly all been moved into new or renovated quarters, upon the 

 completion of the building operations in 1912. 



A large amount of work along these lines was necessary, and the 

 appended reports of the special departments will show in detail the 

 results that have been attained. 



In the departments of Entomology, Ornithology, and Botany, 

 which underwent the greatest changes, immense improvements have 

 been made in the arrangement of the collections, rendering them 

 much more accessible and providing for the accommodation of 

 additional accessions. 



Furthermore, these arrangements and the acquirement of addi- 

 tional storage cases will permit of the withdrawing of duplicate 

 material now on exhibition, especially in the departments of Con- 

 chology and Ornithology, and facilitate the display of the remainder 

 to much better advantage. In this connection the preparation of 

 descriptive labels is contemplated, while groups illustrative of the 

 life history of the species will be substituted for single mounts. 



Comparatively little change has been possible in the arrangement 

 of exhibits this year owing to the crowded condition of many of the 

 cases and the lack of new cases for the north wing. The former 

 condition will be remedied during the coming year, as already 

 explained, while it is hoped that enough new cases may be obtained 

 to permit of the reopening of the north wing. 



The greater part of the collection of vertebrate fossils has been 

 thoroughly cleansed, removed from the old table cases, and arranged 

 systematically in trays which have been temporarily placed under 

 the mahogany cases containing the exhibition series of fossil mol- 

 lusca. Here they are readily accessible for study until permanent 

 cases can be provided. 



The removal of the Wm. S. Vaux collection of minerals to the 

 old library hall has been completed and Mr. F. J. Keeley has rearranged 

 the specimens; while under his direction Mr. S. G. Gordon, a student 

 on the Jessup Fund, has continued the cataloguing of the collection 

 which was begun some years ago. The skeleton of the large Sperm 

 Whale, secured in 1911, has been placed temporarily in the centre of 

 this hall, where it has attracted much attention. This skeleton 

 together with one of the Mesoplodon makes the Academy's series of 

 the larger Cetaceans almost complete as far as genera are concerned. 

 Mr. Clarence B. Moore has continued his investigations of the 

 Indian mounds of the southern United States and has added a 



