REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY 27 



In Mio series of Bulletins two immbers have been issued — Xo. 47, the 

 first part of an elaborate work entitled The l-'ishes of North and ?kliddle 

 America, by David Starr Jordan and Barton W Evennann, and No. 

 49, Bibliography of the Published Writings of Philip Lutley Sclater, 

 F. B. S., secretary of the Zoolo.yical Society of London, prepared under 

 the direction of the late Dr. G. Brown Goode. 



Two iin])ortant monographs have been issued as Special Bulletins. 

 The lirst of these consists of a work on the deep sea and ])ela<iic fishes 

 of the world, by Drs. G. Brown Goode and Tarleton 11 . Bean. This vol- 

 ume (Special Bulletin Xo. 2) contains 553 pages, and is accompanied 

 by an atlas of 123 plates. The second (Si)ecial lUilletin No. 3) consti- 

 tutes volume L* of the late oMajor Bendire's Life Histories of North 

 American Birds, and contains 518 i)ages and 7 colored plates. These 

 works have been reprinted by the Smithsonian Institution as Volumes 

 XXX, XX XT, and XXXII of Contributions to Knowledge. 



MATERIAL LENT FOR INVESTIGATION. 



Two specimens of bats were sent to Dr. Harrison Allen, Philadelphia, 

 Pennsylvania, for use in connection with his studies of the Ghiroptera. 

 Dr. cL A. Allen, of the American Museum of Natural History, made use 

 of about thirty specimens from the National Museum in tlie preparation 

 of a ])aj)er on the mammals of Central America. Twenty-seven speci- 

 mens of mammals were sent to Dr. C. Hart Merriam, chief of Biologi- 

 cal Survey, Department of Agriculture, and Mr. G. S. ^liller, jr., of 

 the same Department, borrowed a number of bats for use in mono- 

 graphic work, besides several other specimens. One of these was 

 made the type of a new species. Twelve skins and skulls of shrews 

 were sent to Mr. E. W. Nelson. Mr. S. N. llhoads, of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, received 40 skins <»f Hying squirrels and 

 11 East African mammals for study. 



The following material has been sent out by the department of birds 

 for study and investigation : To Mr.C. B. Cory, llyannis, Massachusetts, 

 13 bird skins; to Mr. Frank ]M. Chapman, American Museum of Natural 

 History, New V^ork City, 19 bird skins as an aid in the determination 

 of Mexican birds; also 9 specimens for use in connection with tlie 

 identification of South American birds; lo Mr. Witmer Stone, Academy 

 of X"atural Sciences, Philadelphia, G9 specimens of Meadow Larks 

 {Sturndla) for use in a study of the genus, and a specimen of Horned 

 Owl; to ^Ir, Joseph Grinnell, Pasadena, California, 75 s[)ecimens of 

 Goldfinches for use in a revision of the western subspecies; to Mr. Edwin 

 Sheppard, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 11 specimens 

 of game birds for use in illustrating a work l)y Prof. 1). G. Elliot, of 

 the Field (Jolnmbian ]\Iuseum; to Mr. Osbert Salvin, London, lOngland, 

 4 specimens of owls for examination; to Mr. L. j\I. Loomis, of San 

 Francisco, California, 9 si)ecimens of Leach's Petrel; to Prof A. X"ew- 

 ton, Cand)ridgc, England, 2 specimens of Ikhrornin; to Mr. William 



