6U REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1901 



Amazon River turtle {Podocnemys)\ a niata-mata turtle, one of the 

 most remarkable of existing- animals; a huge alligator snapper, the 

 largest of North American fresh-water turtles; several large boas and 

 other snakes, together Avith \arious lizards, toads, and frogs. The 

 series is far finer than ever ))efore shown in the Museum. The space 

 available has now been practically all taken up, except certain cases 

 against the walls, in which it is proposed to make an exhibit of speci- 

 mens of lizards in formalin of species too small to cast. The entire 

 series shown, with but one or two exceptions, is American, and chiefly 

 North American. The reptile faunas of the Old World can not be 

 shown in the present restricted quarters. 



An opportunity was found in April to pro(;eed with the mounting 

 of a new insect exhibit, for which preparations were long under way. 

 With the aid of special assistants, the entire series ol North American 

 beetles was mounted, and in June placed on exhibition. This series 

 occupies 20 standard exhibition boxes and comprises a))out 2,700 

 insects, representing (582 species. The collection is very carefully 

 installed and labeled, and in the case of species having habits or pecul- 

 iarities of more than ordinary interest the facts are briefly mentioned 

 in untechnical language. Work on other orders was progressing' 

 favorably at the close of the j^ear. 



In other classes than those mentioned the improvement of the exhi- 

 bition series was less marked, though many fine mounted specimens of 

 Amej'ican mammals and birds exhibited at Bufl'alo were added. The 

 portion of the Pan-American exhibit sent to the Charleston Exposition 

 was returned just at the close of the fiscal year. The chief taxider- 

 mist, with the occasional help of one assistant, completed about 50 

 mammals for exhibition during the j^ear, including one very large speci- 

 men, a Steller's sea-lion. This spe.'imen had originally been planned 

 for the Pan- American Expositic -^ bi t coukl not b(^ exhibited for lack 

 of space. It replaced a similar irtounted specimen which had been on 

 exhil)ition over twenty-five years and had deteriorated. Mention of 

 the principal vertebrates exhibited at Bufl'ak) and now in the Museum 

 will be found in my previous report (p. ()H) and in (lie A})pendix to the 

 Museum Report for 1901 (p. 1S5). 



The two large wall maps in the ])ird hall, representing the faunal 

 areas of the globe, were repainted and lettered, so as to be more intel- 

 ligible to the general public. Three new groups of American game 

 birds Avere added to the series begun last year, but the work could not 

 be continued further for lack of funds. A fine skeleton of the Kadiak 

 bear, presented by Mr. J. H. Kidder, and a skeleton of the giant 

 salamander of Japan, presented by Dr. C. Ishikawa, were added to 

 the exhibition series of the division of comparative anatom3\ New 

 wall cases for the south end of the south hall were under construction 

 during the year, but not completed. 



