REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETAKY. 39 



Some important chauges were made in the i)ersounel of the depart- 

 ment during' the year. In the Division of Insects, Dr. Harrison G. Dyar 

 was appointed custodian of Lepidoptera. Dr. William L. Ralph suc- 

 ceeds the late Maj. Charles Bendire as custodian of the Section of 

 Birds' Eggs. Mr. W. T. Swingle was appointed custodian of the Sec- 

 tion of Algje and Mr. D. G. Fairchild of the Section of Lower Fungi. 

 These gentlemen have rendered exceedingly valuable services in their 

 several sections during the year. The department is indeed dependent 

 for its successful operation at the present time very largely upon the 

 gratuitous, disinterested efforts of its honorary curators and custo- 

 dians, the value of whose services can not be overestimated. 



In the Division of Marine Invertebrates Miss Harriet Richardson 

 and Miss Mary B. Smith served as volunteer assistants. 



The routine work of entering, classifying, and caring for the collec- 

 tions in the several divisions has been carried on continuously, and it 

 may be said that the condition of the collections in general is better 

 than ever before. The greatest drawback has been found in the lack 

 of sufficient laboratory space, the working rooms in some of the divi- 

 sions being crowded to such an extent that it is almost impossible for 

 the assistants to move about in them. This crowding afiects the work 

 in many ways, making the arrangement of collections unavoidably 

 unsystematic, to a large extent, and rendering nearly impossible those 

 operations which require the use or inspection of large numbers of 

 specimens at the same time. The extensive collection of mammals of 

 the Department of Agriculture, including especially the large forms, 

 were brought together in a part of the southeast range, which has 

 been screened off for the purpose, no other space being found for this 

 bulky material. This encroachment upon the exhibition space is con- 

 sidered undesirable, but can not be avoided unless additions are made 

 to the Museum building or a larger structure provided. A similar 

 provision was made for the National Herbarium, in the Division of 

 Plants, a portion of the East Hall gallery being given up for the pur- 

 pose. The collection of plants has grown to great size and importance 

 and has entirely overflowed the quarters assigned to it a few years since. 



In the Division of Mammals the type specimens were brought together 

 and carefully labeled with special red tags where needed. They will 

 be kept hereafter in special cases. The overcrowding in the upper 

 laboratory was somewhat relieved by a rearrangement of specimens, 

 but the case room is at present inadequate. The study series is in an 

 excellent state of preservation, but much in need of a rearrangement, 

 which, however, can not be accomplished until more case room is 

 provided. 



In the Division of Birds Mr. Robert Ridgway, curator, reports that 

 a large portion of the series, including all the water birds and waders, 

 was thoroughly overhauled and rearranged in new dust tight cases, 

 which have been provided lor the purpose. Some twenty families still 



