78 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



rents, temperature, and life of the ocean in the viciuity of the West 

 Indies and in portions of the Gulf of Mexico. By permission of the 

 U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries, the vessel made a visit of a few days 

 to New Orleans. On lier arrival in that city the exposition manage- 

 ment placed a portion of the exposition wharf at her disposal, where 

 the steamer was thrown open for inspection by visitors to the exposi- 

 tion as a i^art of the exhibit of the U. S. Fish Commission. The ap- 

 paratus employed in her scientific investigations was arranged on deck; 

 and interesting forms of marine life recently taken in the deep waters ' 

 of the Gulf of Mexico were removed from the tanks and placed in glass 

 bottles in the steamer's laboratory, where they could be viewed by 

 those who were interested. At the request of Capt. Z. L. Tanner, an 

 efficient corps of officers and scientists remained constantly on duty to 

 inform the visitors of the general charactt^r of the work in which the 

 steamer was engaged, and to explain the workings of the api)aratu8. 

 After a stay of ten days, during which time she was visited by a very 

 large number of people, she left the exposition in order to resume her 

 work which had been temporarily discontinued. 



THE ANIMAL PRODUCTS BXHIBIT. 



Adjoining the fish-cultural exhibit was a large collection of material 

 showing the products of the animal kingdom, and, as far as practicable, 

 the methods employed in their preparation. In this collection were shown 

 the methods of utilizing the hair, fur, feathers, skin, scales, flesh, bones, 

 horn, teeth, claws, viscera, and excrements of various animals. Por- 

 tions of this collection were very complete, the exhibit of furs, for ex- 

 ample, containing specimens of nearly every fur-bearing animal in the 

 United States. The collection was installed in thirty five cases, occu- 

 pying a floor space of 2,400 square feet. 



At one end of this collection, and serving as a connecting link be- 

 tween it and the natural history department, were several cases illus- 

 trating the methods employed in the capture of animals. In these were 

 shown, either by models or pictures, various forms of traps used in 

 different portions of the country by the Indians and whites in the capt- 

 ure of birds, mammals, and fishes. 



MAMMAX KXHIBIT. 



As soon as it became evident that the Smithsonian Institution would 

 be required to send material to New Orleans, the subject of getting a 

 large and complete exhibit of the mammals of the country was dis- 

 cussed; but when the definite amount of the appropriation was ascer- 

 tained it became necessary to materially change the plan, in order to 

 bring the exhibit within its proportional limit as compared with other 

 departments. The exhibit was prei)ared under the direction of Mr. 

 F. W. True, curator of the department of mammals, and from his 



