REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY 

 FOR THE YEAR 1901-2. 



By Frederick \V. True, 

 ■ Head Curator. 



The work of the fiscal 3^ear l!)01-2 has heen characterized by con- 

 tinued effort ak)no- lines already laid down rather than by new 

 departures. The collections have grown steadily and the scientitic 

 investigation of new accessions has progressed continuously. 



The zoological collections of the National Museum liave grown to 

 iimnense size, rivaling, and in some cases surpassing, those of any 

 other museum. Of insects there are in the Government collection 

 nearly 1,500,000 specimens; of recent shells lunirly 1,000,000 speci- 

 mens; besides at least 500,000 specimens of other acpiatic invertebrates, 

 about 200,000 specimens of fishes, more than 6(),()()0 1>irds' eggs, 

 130,000 specimens of ])irds, more than 40,00(» reptiles and batrachians, 

 and between 75,000 and 100, ()()() specimens of mauunals, including the 

 collection of the Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



The Pan-American Exposition (opened May 1, 1901, closi^d Novem- 

 ber 2, 1902) continued until the end of the tirst third of the tiscal year 

 covered by this report, and was followed by the South Carolina Expo- 

 sition (opened Deceml)er 1, 1901, closed May 31, 1902), which con- 

 tinued until the close of the year. At both of these expositions 

 exhibits were made by the divisions dealing with vertel)i'ates. A full 

 account of the Pan-American exhibit will be found in the Amuial 

 Report for 1900-1901, pages 177-231. 



EXHIBITION (U)LL?:CTIONS. 



The principal improvements were in the halls devoted tt) the exhibi- 

 tion of insects and reptiles and batrachians. At the close of the last 

 year there were on exhibition 73 reptile casts and 11 batrachian casts. 

 The number of the former has been increased to 78 and of the latter 

 to 13. These figures do not give a just idea of the real improvement 

 made. Three new cases were provided and mau}^ inferior casts were 

 replaced by better ones, and several very large forms not previously 

 represented were added. These include a king cobra snake, with 

 accessories representing the edge of an Indian jungle; a vevy large 



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