1913.] natural sciences of philadelphia. 709 



Report of the Ornithological Section. 



More progress has been made in the arrangement of the study 

 series of birds during the year just closed than has been possible for 

 many years past. 



Mr. D. E. Culver, who has occupied a Jessup studentship during 

 the year, has devoted nearly all of his time to the relaxing and 

 renovation of the old unmounted specimens. Many hundreds of 

 these birds have thus been converted into excellent skin specimens, 

 while the cases have been thoroughlj^ cleansed as the work continued. 

 All of the lower groups of birds, comprising those of large size, 

 liave been worked over in this way, as well as the whole series of 

 Picariae, most of the Clamatores, and one or two families of the 

 Oscines, so that the work will be easily completed early in the coming 

 year. 



The Conservator took up each family of the water birds as the 

 relaxing was completed and arranged them systematically, reidentify- 

 ing many specimens and checking them up in Sharpe's Hand List. 

 He also interpolated in the collection some 5,000 specimens that have 

 been acquired during past years but not systematically arranged 

 for lack of cases, a need that was met this year by the addition of ten 

 double-sized metal storage cases. 



Iron-pipe racks were also erected for holding the cases in place of 

 the temporary wooden racks previously in use, while the fronts of 

 all the cases have been painted cream color, which gives them a much 

 neater appearance and adds materially to the light in the alcoves. 

 The floor of the room has also been painted with cemitite, which has 

 hardened the concrete and stopped the constant wearing away of 

 the surface in the form of fine dust. 



The removal of certain old wooden cases will permit the arrange- 

 ment of the local collection to much better advantage. 



A number of additions have been made during the year to the local 

 .exhibition collection, and others are in the course of preparation. 

 No rearrangement or further reduction of the general exhibition 

 •collection has been possible, but with the acquisition of additional 

 storage cases it is hoped in the coming year to unmount a number of 

 duplicates and arrange the remaining specimens to much better 

 advantage. 



There have been a number of very important accessions to the 

 study collection during the year, notable among which were two 

 hundred and thirty-seven West African birds, obtained from George 



