226 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ing his other duties, to collect and present 54 specimens of reptiles from 

 the vicinity of Wheatland, Ind. Some of these were living, and have 

 added greatly to the attractions of the serpent vivarium. Not the 

 least important part of Mr. Itidgwav's work has been a careful series 

 of notes regarding his specimens, the value of which cannot be over- 

 estimated. Among the very rare serpents were several belonging to 

 the new subspecies described by the curator in the proceedings of the 

 National Museum, ]882, p. 438, under the name of Ophibolus getulus 

 niger, and this additional supply of material fully confirms the conclu- 

 sions reached in the paper mentioned. 



Mr. Theodore Roosevelt has presented a collection of 67 specimens, 

 mostly from the State of New York. 



We are again under obligations to Mr. L. Belding, of California, for a 

 valuable and rare collection from La Paz, Cal. 



The Kurrachee Library and Museum of British India has also pre- 

 sented a fine series of Indian reptiles, numbering 49 specimens. Many 

 of these the Museum did not before possess. 



Mr. Jos§ Zeledon, of Costa Rica, has also presented a collection of 

 27 rare and valuable specimens made in the vicinity of his coffee plan- 

 tation. 



A valuable and almost unique collection of reptiles from Mauritius, 

 numbering 47 specimens, has been presented by Mr. Nicholas Pike, of 

 Brooklyn, formerly United States consul to the island. This is only 

 one of the many donations made to the National Museum by this gentle- 

 man. 



Mr. G. W. Marnock, of Helotes, Bexar County, Texas, has as in pre- 

 vious years added most materially to our collections, and from him have 

 been received a number of specimens of species not before possessed by 

 the Museum. 



Other collections have been presented by Mr. James Bell, of Gaines- 

 ville, Fla., Dr. Gamier, of Luckuow, Canada, Mr. G. M. Merrill, of Au- 

 burn, Me., Lieut, J. F. Moser, U. S. N., Dr. J. Schenk, C. H. Gilbert, 

 George Stolley, William J. Taylor, H. F. Emeric, R. E. EarlJ, Dr. W. 

 Nelson, C. R, Orcntt, Benjamin Miller, B. A. Bean, J. B. Adams, and 

 many others; in fact, we have no cause for complaint as to scarcity of 

 contributions. 



The routine work of the department has been carried on by the Cura- 

 tor and two young assistants. It consists in entering promptly in the 

 record book all accessions, the specimens having been previously iden- 

 tified when possible, and tagged with a stamped tin label bearing the 

 current number. They are carefully examined with a view to determin- 

 ing in which series they should be placed, after which a separate record 

 is made so that at any time the specimen may be found without difficulty, 

 according to its classification. 



The entire collection of reptiles is divided into two great series, one 

 called the "Reserve series," intended for purposes of study, and from 

 which is selected the exhibition set, the other entitled the "General se- 



