REPORT OF THE SECRETARY: NATIONAL MUSEUM 99 



individuals were 464 specimens from the Death Valley region, Calif., 

 by the National Geographic Society; 470 specimens from Nicaragua, 

 by the Instituto Pcdagogico de Varones, Managua; 449 specimens 

 from the Santa Marta region, Colombia, by Dr. William Seifriz, 

 University of Pennsylvania; 279 specimens from eastern Peru, by 

 Guillermo Klug, Iquitos; 244 specimens from Colombia, by Baltazar 

 Guevara Amortegui; 341 specimens from Panama, by Brother Paul, 

 Colegio de la Salle; and 576 specimens from the State of Washington, 

 by J. William Thompson, Seattle. 



INSTALLATION AND PRESERVATION OF COLLECTIONS 



The main work of the taxidermists was the mounting of a hippo- 

 potamus and the construction of a biological group of the Haitian 

 ground iguana. The District of Columbia fauna! exhibit continued 

 under the care of Dr. Bartsch, who kept it current and made additions, 

 notably a mounted specimen of the Louisiana heron. 



Additional half-unit cases were supplied in the division of mammals 

 for the rearrangement of the primate skins, all of which are now 

 grouped together. Considerable work was done in rearranging smaller 

 mammal skins, especially rodents and carnivores. The skeleton 

 collection also was rearranged. The carnivore and larger rodent 

 skulls of the Merriam collection, which has hitherto been kept intact 

 as a separate unit, were intercalated in the general collection. Twelve 

 large and medium-sized mammal skins were tanned on outside 

 contract, and 13 skins were tanned by taxidermists of the Museum, 

 who also degreased and made up 79 skins, skinned or prepared for 

 skeletons 26 mammals, and removed 15 sets of gibbon leg bones. 

 Fifty-five skeletons, mostly large, 145 skulls, and 14 sets of leg bones 

 were cleaned. Contract work on small and medium-sized skulls and 

 skeletons resulted in cleaning 695 skulls and 130 skeletons. 



About two thirds of the birdskins received during the year were 

 distributed in the study series. Of collections previously held up as 

 separate units awaiting identification and study, the nonpasserine 

 birds of the Roosevelt and Aschemeier African collections were identi- 

 fied and distributed. About one fourth of the large Siamese collec- 

 tions was worked up and distributed, as well as the rest of the 

 Museum's Chinese birds. The skeletal material collected by H. B. 

 Collins, Jr., on St. Lawrence Island was also identified. The work of 

 expanding and rearranging the crowded parts of the study series 

 included many groups of birds. The collection of alcoholic specimens 

 was completely overhauled and all unidentified material culled out. 

 The work of the prcparators included skinning 108 birds, degreasing 

 and remaking 158 skins, mounting two birds for the District collec- 

 tion, cleaning 292 skeletons, skeletonizing 220 birds, and blowing 

 40 eggs. 



72774—35 8 



