REPORT OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 43 



DEPARTMENT OF lilRDS' EGGS. 



Maj. Charles Beiulirc, honorary curator of this department, died on 

 February 4, 1S97. An account of his life and of liis valuable services 

 to the National Museum will be ibund under the head of "Necrology." 



At the close of the fiscal year no one had been appointed to the posi- 

 tion of curator. Tlie routine work of the ottice has, however, been 

 conducted in the department of birds. 



The most important accessions of the year are as follows: 



From J)r. W. L. Ralph, Utica, New York, GIO eggs and 51 nests were 

 received. These were all from North America, and included many 

 rarities, such as the eggs of the White-throated Swift (new to science), 

 the Western Evening Grosbeak (new to science), the Buff-breasted 

 Flycatcher, Grace's and Hermit Warblers, the Everglade Kite, etc. 



Mr. Otto W^idman, Old Orchard, Missouri, presented the nest and 3 

 eggs of Bacliman's Warbler (new to science). 



Forty-eight eggs and several nests from Lower Siam were presented 

 by Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



From Dr. J. C. Merrill, Surgeon-General's OflQce, Washington, Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, were received 49 eggs from Fort Sherman, Idaho. 



Forty-three eggs, collected in Texas, were presented by Mr, H. P. 

 Att water, of San Antonio. 



Twelve eggs of rare l*etrels were received from Mr. A. W. Anthony, 

 San Diego, California. Three of these were donated and the remain- 

 der purchased. 



Special Bulletin No. 3 of the U. S. National Museum, constituting 

 Volume II of Major Bendire's Life Histories of North American Birds, 

 was published early in the fiscal year. This volume contains 518 pages 

 and 7 colored plates. The titles of three other papers, based wholly or 

 in part on material in this department, are given in the Bibliography 

 (Ai)pendix IV). 



The number of eggs received during the year was 838, and of nests, 

 102. There were 300 entries made in the catalogue. 



DEPARTMENT OF REPTILES. AND BATRACHIANS. 



The curator of this department. Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, was absent 

 during the first half of the fiscal year on duty connected with the 

 investigation of the fur-seal rookeries, and after his return to Washing- 

 ton he was engaged for some time in the preparation of a report upon 

 the results of his observations. In May he was detailed by the Presi- 

 dent of the United States for similar duty during the summer of 1897. 

 For these reasons the work of the departnumt of reptiles and batra(;hians 

 has been greatly interfered with. There has, however, been an increase 

 of 50 per cent in the number of permanent accessions, the total for the 

 year having been (id. The most important additions are as follows: 



A collection of reptiles and batrachians from Liberia, obtained by 



