lo Dircclor' s Annual Report. 



sonian Institution many specimens would be invisible without the 

 aid of electric light, but the buildings should be of far grander and 

 more magnificent style so as to be worthy of the capital of the great 

 United States of America. 



The U. S. Army Medical Museum contained many anatomical 

 preparations of great value to the medical student. This museum 

 also contained two tatooed and dried Maori heads from New Zealand, 

 and it would seem more fitting if these specimens were placed with 

 some museum for anthropology, where they would be highly valued. 



It was rather an unfortunate time of the year (September) to 

 visit the U.S. Fish Commission, as the breeding season had not 

 commenced and the collecftions were not fully represented. The 

 conveniences for taking care of the fish in all stages of growth were 

 noted with much interest. 



The National Zoological Gardens are situated near Chevy 

 Chase, and the site chosen for this park showed that there had 

 been great forethought in the seledlion of a place not only suitable 

 for its purpose, but containing the great advantage of natural 

 scener^^ There was a fine herd of bison roaming in their exten- 

 sive run. The aviary was large and kept in good order, and the 

 reptile house well stocked. A neatly arranged aquarium was seen 

 on the grounds, constru(5led on modern plans, and the mammal 

 house contained a very representative collecftion. The confined 

 inmates of the park were looking very healthy, with rare excep- 

 tions, and the care apparent on every side did great credit to the 

 gentlemen in charge. 



Reaching Philadelphia, a visit was first paid to the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences, where Dr. Pilsbry had the kindness to ac- 

 company me when looking through the magnificent collection of 

 molluscs in his charge. This colledtion, it is generally admitted, is 

 the finest in the United States, although the Smithsonian Institution 

 has many rare specimens not represented in this Academy . The con- 

 venient method of keeping the duplicate species in drawers below 

 the exhibition cases would assist the work of the conchological 

 student very much. In other branches of natural history also 

 there were excellent opportunities for study, the working collec- 

 tions being well supplied and conveniently stored. In ethnology, 

 the colle(5tion from the Pacific was not large, nor in fact was any 

 pertaining to countries outside America. The Academy held a 

 colle(?tion of very fine Hawaiian Kapa, which probably, on account 



