REPORT OF THP: SECRETARY. 118 



possible and to make tl^ie collection more significant, small collecting exix'ilitions 

 were sent out to Cuba, Porto.Rico, Florida, and the Amazon River. These obtained 

 many fine characteristic specimens , Dot previousl}' well represented in the Museum 

 collections. The exhibit as t Avhole represented very satisfactorily the most impor- 

 tant, interesting, and attractive American vertebrates, both large and small. 



Mamntal.t.- — The collection of mammals included such large forms as the moose, 

 elk, musk ox, Caribl)ean seal, Kodiak l)ear, wolf, puma, manatee, mduntain sheej), 

 mountain goat, etc. A considera])le number of specimens were mounted especially 

 for the exposition, and represented the best efforts of modern taxidermy. Several 

 imi)ortant species recently discovered, such as the (llacier bear, Kodiak Ix'ur, Stone's 

 sheej), etc., were included in the exhi))it. 



Bird.f. — The collection of birds was the largest series disi)layed by the department. 

 Such large characteristic l)irds as the condor, wild turkey, whooi)ing crane, Cali- 

 fornia vulture, etc., were represented by exceedingly fine specimens, mounted in the 

 very best maimer. The smaller birds included numerous species remarkal)le for 

 their l)rilliant colors, peculiar habits, or grotesque form, an<l as a whole tlu' series 

 was calculated to give the visitor an excellent idea of the variety and beauty of the 

 American bird fauna as a whole. An extensive collection of humming liinls, an 

 exclusively American family, was shown in a special case. 



Ilt'ptUcs <tnd hatnichUnu. — The collection of these two classes was nmch smaller 

 than the others, as the Museum had no considerable exhiljition series ready at hand 

 to draw upon, and to olitain suital)le material within a sjtecified time is a matter of 

 the greatest difficulty. Th('num))er of suitable sj)ecimens finally obtained, however, 

 proved greater than could ])e accommodated in the small space which it seemed 

 prudent at the outset of the enteriirise to allot to these two classes, which sjiaci' was 

 at the last moment still further reduced to provide tlie necessary aisle roo.m. Some 

 such remarkable forms as the mata-mata tortoise and the large Amazon Ki\-er tor- 

 toise, though ready for exhiliition, were finally crowded out. 



Tlie exhibit included the more important American poisonous and nonpoisonous 

 snakes, various fresh-water and land tortoises, cliaracteristic lizards, including the 

 large Cuban iguana, and a few toads, frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians. 

 Among the largest specimens was a tortoise known as the alligator snapper, wliicli is 

 the largest of American fresh-water tortoises, and a boa constrictor. 



Fishes. — The collection of American fishes was in three divisions: (1) A general 

 series of painted casts of characteristic marine and fresh- water sjiecies; ( 2 ) a series of 

 subtro])ical marine fishes from Key West, Fla., jireserved in formalin; and ( 'A ) a series 

 of the fishes of the Amazon River, also preserved in formalin. Tlie collection 

 included the best casts in the Museum permanent series. It is impiactica])l(' to 

 mentirm the species in detail in this place, lint the series as a whole was esi^ecially 

 strong in important food and game fishes of the lakes and rivers of North America, 

 and (jf the Atlantic coast, and characteristic South American species. 



A special exhibit in this class consisted of an enlarged model of a remarkable phos- 

 j)horescent deep-sea fish, so installed that the luminous sjuits in the sides and the 

 lantern-like protuberance on the head were made to glow as in life. 



The mammals exhibited by the Department of Biology were installed in two large 

 wall cases, each 40 feet long, in the center of the Museum space, the fishes in a 

 similar but shallow case at the west end, the birds in eight standard Museum "door- 

 screen" cases, and the reptiles and batrachians in four standard "slope-top" cases. 



A large proportion of the specimens in each of the five classes were provided with 

 descriptive labels in nontechnical language, in which the habits and geographical 

 range of each species were cited, together with other items of general interest. 



Department of Geology. — The exhibit of this department was planned ami arrangeil 

 by Dr. George P. Merrill, heail curator, with the assistance of the scientilic staff. It 

 occupied the north end of the IMusenm space. 



SM 1U02 8 



