30 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1899. 



Mr. J. G. Baker, of London, Elngland, presented a large part of 

 his private herbarium. Mr. Louis A, Kengla. of San Francisco, 

 California, presented a hundred specimens of algae suitable for 

 exhibition. From Maj. H. E. Hasse was received the gift of 233 

 specimens of California lichens. 



A large numV)erof important specimens from Samoa, Mexico, Costa 

 Rica, and from varioas parts of the United States were purchased dur- 

 ing the year. 



WORK OX THE STUDY SERIES. 



The principal work accomplished in the Division of Mammals, in 

 addition to the usual routine operations and the rearrangement of the 

 exhibition series (already referred to), was the improvement of the 

 collection of small skins and a rearrangement of the study series. A 

 large proportion of the skins of rodents and other small mammals which 

 have been accumulating from year to year have long needed making 

 over on a uniform model, in order to be thoroughly available for pur- 

 poses of comparison. During the past year it was found possible to 

 assign a taxidermist to this work for about six months, during which 

 time some 8<XJ skins were remodeled. A rearrangement of the whole 

 study series of small skins, ba.sed on Troussart's recently published 

 catalogue of mammals, was begun, and the greater part of the rodents 

 were put in order during the year. The collection of skulls of small 

 mammals was also rearranged. 



In the Division of Birds the large amount of work done on the exhi- 

 bition series left little opportunity for other than current routine work. 

 The determination of type specimens was continued, and some 20 were 

 located and separated out from the general collection. 



The study collection of birds' agg^ is in good condition, but the exhi- 

 bition series is much in need of revision and renovation. The honorary 

 curator of this section has not onlv been the largest contributor to the 

 growth of the collection, but has devoted much of his time personallv 

 to the current work. 



The study series of reptiles and batrachians is much in need of 

 revision, >)ut up to the present time it has not been found possible to 

 supply the large amount of new shelves needed before a rearrange- 

 ment can }>e commenced. The cui-ator ha.s devoted his time chiefly to 

 the improvement of the exhibition series and to investigations. 



Work was continued on the exhibition series of casts of American 

 ti-shes under the supervision of the assistant curator. 



Much time was occupied in the Division of Mollasks in cleaning, 

 assorting, and naming the very extensive collection of shells presented 

 last year by Prof. R. E. Call. The shells of the family Helicidse and 

 the Pyi-amidellidse of the west coa.st of America were thoroughly 

 studied and rearranged and many .species identified. The important 



