REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 211 



the registers opposite the original records of the same. Reference to 

 the registers, therefore, reveals not only what specimens are actually 

 in the collection, but also the disposition of those distributed. 



It was possible during the summer of 1883 to have the work of copy- 

 ing the original registers taken in hand. Up to this time three vol- 

 umes of the register of skins have been copied, and the originals filed 

 with the registrar. It seems very desirable that this work should con- 

 tinue. The original records date back to the foundation of the Mu- 

 seum, and contain a vast amount of information relative to the collec- 

 tions, which, as is well known, have formed the basis of the principal 

 monographic works upon mammals published in this country during the 

 last half century. 



Card catalogues. — The preliminary card catalogue of skins, mounted 

 and unmounted, has been copied upon the printed cards provided for 

 the purpose. The arrangement is, as before, an alphabetical one by 

 genera. The work of checking the specimens actually in the collections 

 upon the preliminary catalogue of bones has not yet been completed, 

 and the permanent copy of that record has not been made. 



Worlt upon the collections. 



The osteological collection. — Early in the year the entire collection of 

 bones, with the exception of the mounted skeletons, was removed from 

 the gallery of the lower hall of the Smithsonian building to the east- 

 south range of the Museum. The mass of material in storage was also 

 removed to the same range. Here the specimens were assorted and 

 afterwards arranged by orders upon the temporary shelves in the 

 southeast court. Each specimen was checked in the registers to show 

 its presence in the collection and its identification made sure. This 

 work occupied nearly nine months. When completed, the specimens 

 were once more removed to the east-south range, and arranged in table 

 cases by orders and families. The shelves behind the new wall-case in 

 that range were also filled with specimens, principally of the ruminants 

 and larger cetaceans. A collection of skulls of rodents, insectivores, and 

 bats, consisting largely of type specimens, very valuable for study, has 

 been placed temporarily upon the south balcony. A small number of 

 boxes, containing duplicate specimens of cetacean skulls and the like, 

 have been temporarily stored. 



As intimated above, a large exhibition case has been built upon the 

 north side of the east-south range. In this case it is intended to display 

 the mounted skeletons of the larger species of mammals. A few species 

 however such as the giraffe, elk, etc., will be arranged upon a raised 

 base on south side of the range. For reception of the smaller skeletons 

 it is proposed that special cases shall be designed. 



The collection of sMns. — The entire collection of unmounted skins, with 

 the exception of a series of rodents, was treated with preservatives dur- 

 ing the summer. The larger skins, such as those of bears, seals, mini- 



