REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 41 



Mr. J. D. Figgins, Falls Church, Virgiuia, 2 specimens (incliulinglBachman's sparrow) 

 from Maryland (gift) ; Prof. W. R. Hinton, Kissimmee, Florida, 1 specimen of White- 

 winged Dove, from Florida (gift); Alexander Hiutze, llolsiiigfors, Finland, 2 spec- 

 imens of Lapp Owl (gift); Mr. (ieorge Ayers, Alosandria, Virginia, 1 specimen of 

 Bruunieh's Murre (gift); Mr. Lawrence Skow, Omaha, Nebraska, 1 specimen of 

 Hybrid Teal (exchange); Mr. W. W. Price, Lelaud Stanford Junior University, 2 

 specimens of /'inico/« from California (gift); Mr. Joseph (Jrinuell, Pasadena, Cali- 

 fornia, 7 specimens of Californian birds (gift). 



The Museum is indebted to the followiug' individuals and institutions 

 for material transmitted at the request of the curator for examination: 

 Mr. Osbert Salvin, London, England; Mr. William Brewster, Cam- 

 bridge, Massachusetts; the American Museum of Natural Ilistory, 

 New York (^ity; the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and 

 the Boston Society of Natural History. 



Considerable attention has been given to the exhibition series, and 

 it is now in much better condition than for several years past, although 

 a general rearrangement would greatly improve its appearance. 



The following extract from the report of the curator indicates the 

 present condition of the study series and the progress made in caring 

 for the collections: 



The condition of the study series is very satisfactory, except that ])ortion con- 

 tained in the storage bases in the west basement, which remains ])racticablj" inac- 

 cessible. A large portion of the collection contained in the bird gallery was 

 radically rearranged, the classification followed being that of Dr. Stejneger. The 

 contents of .52 quarter-unit cases were involved, and in order to give the specimens 

 ample room and allow for moderate growth of the collections, 19 additional cases 

 were required. The new arrangement is a systematic one, the previous one being 

 geographical. The collection is divided into a North American, Neotroi)ical, and 

 Old World series. The bird gallery has now become so crowded that further case- 

 room can not be had there; eleven of the cases are placed in dotilde tiers. A half- 

 unit "type"' case with (£narter-unit compartments was installed in the gallery, and 

 the majority of types of small birds were removed from the general collection during 

 the ])rocess of rearrangement and placed in this case. A large portion of the collec- 

 tion (over 5,000 specimens) made lij- Dr. E. A. Mearus was distributed in the general 

 series at the same time. 



About 3.5 cases in the bird gallery were labeled. 



An additional room was placed at the disposal of the curator during the year, tg 

 be used both as an office and storeroom. Fourteen (juarter-unit cases were placed 

 in it, and the collections of pigeons, cuckoos, and part of the Coroida- were thus 

 provided for. Twelve new half unit cases were installed in the west basement, and 

 many large birds contained in the old Salvin cases were transferred to them tempo- 

 rarily, but the whole west basement collection will re<iuire readjustment when the 

 remainder of the new cases are ready for use. 



Since the death, in February, 1897, of MaJ. (Charles Uendire. honor- 

 ary curator of the dei)artment of birds' eggs, the routine work of that 

 office has been conducted by the curator and assistant curator of the 

 department of birds. 



A group of about -50 parrots and birds of British Guiana was pre- 

 pared for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition at Nashville. 



There have been no explorations directly under the auspices of the 

 Museum through which material has been added to the collections of 



