REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALS 

 IN THE U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



By Frederick W. True, curator, 



As regards the regular work of the department, the year covered by 

 this report was less productive of results than its predecessors. The 

 time of the Curator was occupied by other duties for one-third of the year. 

 The preparations for the World's Fair were in progress, and arrange- 

 ments could uot be made to secure the services of a skilled assistant 

 to replace the assistant engaged in held work. As intimated in last 

 year's report, it is probable that normal conditions will not return until 

 after the close of the work for the World's Fair. In the meantime 

 little can be done beyond protecting the collections from deterioration. 



In number and importance the accessions will compare favorably with 

 those of former years.* The principal accessions are here referred to: 



Many foreign mammals have been obtained through the continued kindness of the 



friends of* the Museum, and important additions to the series of American species 

 have also been made in the same manner, and to a certain degree by purchase. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott, to whom the Museum is indebted tor a valuable collection of 

 East African mammals, supplemented his donation by a collection from Central Kash- 

 mir, including a tine series of skins of the Rhesus monkey, a Thibetan bear, and other 

 interesting species. Mr. William Astor Chanter presented two excellent mounted 

 heads of giraffes, a male and a female, from East Africa. A very valuable collection of 

 skins of marsupials, including 12 species of kangaroos and wallabies, was received 

 from the Australian Museum. Most of these were previously unrepresented in the 

 Museum collections. 



Capt.M.A. Healy, U. S. Revenue Marine, obtained tor the Museum the skin of a 

 female walrus from Holy Cross Bay. Siberia, an excellent mate for the male obtained 

 last year by Capt. Coulsou. Through the kind offices of Dr. C. H. Merriam, of the 

 Department of Agriculture, and Mr. C. A. Townseml, of the Y. S. Fish Commission, four 

 sea lions, Eumetoplas stelleri, and two harbor seals were obtained from Monterey. Cal. 

 Dr. Merriam also aided the Museum in obtaining from Newfoundland three gray 

 seals, Haliclm rus grypus, a species rare in American collections. A fine adult male 

 hooded seal, Cystophora crislata, was obtained by Rev. M. Harvey, of St. .Johns. 

 Newfoundland. 



The Mexican Boundary Commission began field work (luring the year. Dr. Edgar 

 A. Mearns. \J. S. Army, who was appointed surgeon to the Commission, expressed his 

 desire to make zoological collections for the Museum ami was supplied with traps, 

 preservatives, and other collecting apparatus. He has entered enthusiastically into 

 the work and scut in from the border large collections of finely prepared specimens. 



No attention is paid at this time to the numerous specimens obtained for the 

 World's Fair. These will be mentioned in next year's report, when a detailed account 

 of the work done for the exhibition will be submitted. 



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