REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY 

 FOR THE YEAR 1902-3. 



By Frederick W. True, 

 Head Curator. 



The principal features of the year covered by tliis report were the 

 improvement of the installation of the exhibition series, brought 

 about largely b}^ placing the supervision of the work in the hands of 

 a single officer, and the enlargement of the quarters for the National 

 Herbarium, In the majority of classes the number of specimens 

 added to the collections was less than last 3^ear; but in scientific value 

 there was no appreciable decline. The number of zoological speci- 

 mens added was not less than 70,000, of which 9,000 were vertebrates. 

 About 35,000 botanical specimens were also received. Some important 

 improvements were made in the installation of the great zoological 

 study series, but the need of more space and better facilities were 

 keenl}^ felt. Preparations for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. 

 Louis, 1904, were actively begun, and were in an advanced condition 

 at the close of the ^^ear. 



EXHIBITION COLLECTIONS. 



With the consent of the Assistant Secretary, Mr. F. A. Lucas, 

 Curator of the Division of Comparative Anatom\', was placed in tem- 

 porary charge of all exhibition work of the Department, November 

 1, 1902, and all the taxidermists and other natural history preparators 

 were directed to report to him. By this change the work has l^een 

 much better coordinated than hitherto, and the results obtained dur- 

 ing the year have been very satisfactory. The curators of the several 

 divisions are still called upon to select specimens for the exhibition 

 series, to furnish technical information for labels, or for the use of the 

 preparators, etc. , but they are not expected to regularh^ supervise the 

 work of the preparators or to install collections in the exhibition 

 cases. There has been a growing recognition among the curators of 

 natural history museums of the fact that the needs of the general pub- 

 lic and of the special student and investigator are quite diverse, and 

 that endeavors to combine in one series collections of interest to both 

 are little better than a waste of time. The general public and the gen- 

 eral student are only confused by a nuiltiplicity of specimens repre- 

 senting small variations of one species, or illustrating small steps in a 



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