REPOET ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 223 



of proof, writing official letters, &c: The exact extent of this work is 

 as follows : 



Papers prepared for publication 13 



Pages of proof (in Museum publications) corrected 246 



Galleys of proof (in Museum publications) corrected 104 



Official letters written 190 



Official memoranda written 219 



Orders for work written 76 



Memoranda of packing written 82 



Eequisitions for material, &c 158 



(fc) DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIMEN8. 



The total number of specimens sent out during the year was 1,133, of 

 which 759 were exchanges and 374 loaned to specialists for examina- 

 tion; the number of species being 385 exchanged and 127 loaned. 

 There were also exchanged 23 specimens and 17 species of eggs, while 

 16 specimens and 11 species of skeletons were loaned for examination. 



The number of packages sent out was 85, of which 43 were sent by 

 mail, 36 by express, 2 by international exchange, 2 by messenger, and 2 

 doubtful.* 



(c) ARRANGEMENT AND CLASSIFICATION OF COLLECTIONS. 



A vast amount of work under this heading has been done during the 

 year. The entire reserve and duplicate series of smaller birds, embrac- 

 ing about 30,000 specimens, has been wholly rearranged systematically, 

 in new quarter-unit cabinets, aud the drawers carefully labeled. The 

 reserve specimens of larger birds in the west basement have likewise 

 been thoroughly overhauled and rearranged. This part of the collec- 

 tion, although containing less than 10,000 skins, is by far the most 

 bulky, and the handling of it has involved a very great deal of labor. 

 Some dozen or more boxes containing duplicate specimens of the larger 

 birds (chiefly water birds and birds of prey), which have been kept in 

 storage, have been brought out and overhauled ; but it was found neces- 

 sary, on account of lack of drawer space, to repack the duplicates in 

 the same large boxes. They were, however, first classified, and then 

 an invoice made of the contents of each box. Advantage was taken of 

 this opportunity to select specimens for the Indiana State University, 

 the zoological collections of which were completely destroyed by fire in 

 July preceding ; but, although the greater part of this work was done in 

 December, 1883, it is not yet finished, and the statistics pertaining to 

 this matter will therefore be deferred until the annual report for 1884. 



The cases aDd drawers containing the reserve series and part of the 

 duplicates have been numbered, and a key to the arrangement prepared 

 that will greatly facilitate ready access to the specimens. 



* These two were foreign packages, the manner of sending them not being discre- 

 tionary with the curator. 



