KEPUUT UN THE DEPARTMENT UF MAMiAIALS IN THE U.S. NATIONAL 

 MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE :i(l, 18811. 



By Frederick W. True, Curator 



The accessious received by this department during the year iiuinber 

 ninety-two, and are for the most part of much interest. In reviewing 

 the more important of these I have separated them into two principal 

 classes, viz., terrestrial and aquatic mammals. 



The collection of indigeuons mammals of the United Slates has been 

 enriched by the addition of two skins of the black-footed ferret, Puto- 

 rius 7ii(jrip€s, collected by Mr. A. B. Baker in Trego County, Kans. This 

 species is perhaps the rarest of North American mammals, and the ad- 

 dition of new skins to onr series is a matter of considerable moment. 



Several interestiug collections were received from Oalit'oruia and 

 Oregon, the most exteusive being that of Mr. Walter E. Bryaut. 



A good skeleton of the common black bear, previously wanting to. 

 the collection, was prepared froui the carcass of an individual which 

 died in confinement in the grounds of the Government As3ium for the 

 Insane, Washington. 



Messrs. Barnum, Bailey, and Hutchinson, the well-known circus pro- 

 l)rietors, have during the past year i)laced the Museum under fresh obli 

 gations by their donations of valuable specimens of some of the larger 

 species of exotic mammals. Promiueut among their gifts is the Indian 

 elephant "Albert," which was killed at Keene, N. H., in July, 1885, on 

 account of its exhibiting signs of insanity. Albert was an elephant of 

 large size, his height at the shoulder being 8 feet, 4 inches. The skin, 

 whicli is in an excellent state of preservation, will probably be mounted 

 during the coming year. Other valuable specimens received from these 

 gentlemen were a leopard, a zebra, a llama, a blau-bok, and a kangaroo. 

 Avery fine female tiger was also i)urchased from them for a small sum. 

 All these, with the exception of the kangaroo, represent species new to 

 the collection. 



Mr. Lewis Sells, of Cincinnati, presented a skeleton of an eland, 

 Oreas carma. 



Mr. A. E. Brown, superintendent of the Philadelphia Zoological 

 Gardens, and Dr. W. A. Conkliu, superintendent of the Central Park 



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