52 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1903. 



single vital process, while the special student and investigator never 

 has too many specimens, and can seldom make much progress with 



scant material. 



The principal improvements during the year were in the halls 

 devoted to mammals, marine invertebrates, insects, and lishes. The 

 interior of the wall-cases of the South Hall gallery, containing Old 

 World mammals, was repainted to correspond in color with the cases 

 on the main floor and to set off the specimens properly, the color of 

 the unpainted l)urlap background having proved too dull. At the 

 same time the floor cases on the gallery containing the small mammals 

 were refitted to correspond with those below. The result has been 

 a great improvement in the general appearance of the cases and visi- 

 bility of the collections. The very attractive group of African horse- 

 tailed monkeys, Colohus caudatus, prepared some time ago with 

 specimens presented ))y Dr. W. L. Abbott, was placed in a new 

 case especially adapted for properly displaying it. The specimens 

 were cleaned and the accessories renovated by the chief taxidermist. 

 On the main floor, devoted to American mammals, the south wall-cases 

 mentioned in last year's report were finished and filled with South 

 American mammals, which are now installed in a satisfactory manner. 

 No room has as yet been found, however, for such large forms as the 

 tapir, pampas deer, etc. The majority of the floor-cases were furnished 

 with new fittings, uniform in design and color. The group of Rocky 

 Mountain sheep made originally for the World's Columbian Exposi- 

 tion, 1893, was taken from storage and erected at the northwest cor- 

 ner of the hall. The artificial rock- work was cut down and partially 

 remodeled and the specimens renovated by the chief taxidermist. 

 This completes the representation by groups of the principal large 

 ruminants of North America, except that space has not been found for 

 tbe White Goat group. The intention is to let this take the place of 

 one of the two caribou groups. Numerous small mammals were 

 added to the general North American series. A number of large 

 mammals were mounted during the 3'ear for the St. Louis Exposition, 

 but will not be displayed in Washington until the close of the exposi- 

 tion. New uniform printed labels for the entire American series of 

 small mammals, revised and brought up to date as regards nomencla- 

 ture, etc., were printed and placed with the specimens during the 

 year. The labels for the Old World series were also revised, and, 

 where necessarj^, new ones were prepared, printed, and put on the 

 specimens. The entire mammal exhibit, therefore, with a few excep- 

 tions in some groups, is now thoroughly and satisfactorily labeled. 

 The Indian rhinoceros, which had been on exhibition for man}^ years, 

 was withdrawn, as it had become unsightly through the cracking of 

 the skin and could not be repaired satisfactorily. 



In the hall in the Smithsonian building devoted to the lower inverte- 

 brates the interiors of all the wall-cases were repainted. As these 



