06 EEPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



in the general library in the northwest corner of the Museum building, 

 while those works relating to special departments are, for the conven- 

 ience of workers, placed in sectional libraries in the apartments of the 

 several curators. The library system has been under the charge of Mr. 

 Frederick W. True, who has already completed a card catalogue of 

 the books. 



Woric of the Preparators. — The work of the various preparators con- 

 nected with the IVIuseum has increased in efficiency during the year. 

 Mr. Palmer, the chief modeller, has developed several new features in 

 Lis work, one of the most imjiortant of which is the making in plaster 

 the casts of animals, such as, on account of the shortness of their hair, 

 cannot be successfully set up by the taxidermist. Experiments on dogs 

 of different breeds and a leopard have been successful. A cast of a 

 high-bred pointer is especially remarkable, on account of the faithful 

 manner in which all of the marks of its hereditary iierfections are shown, 

 and on account of the life-like manner in which it is represented in the 

 act of pointing. The largest animal cast, which has yet been made, is 

 that of a fin-back whale, over 30 feet in length, one side of which ex- 

 hibits the whale in the attitude of swimming, while upon the other, in 

 the concavity of the inner outline of the half cast, is to be placed the 

 articulated skeleton of the animal. 



The artists, Messrs. Shindler and Hendley, have made many imi)rove- 

 ments in painting the casts of reptiles, fish, and stone implements, it 

 being now possible to produce counterfeits of implements which cannot 

 be distinguished from the originals, except by the test of the knife. In 

 February of this year Mr. John H. Richard, the veteran zoological 

 draughtsman, for several years in the employ of the ]\Iuseum, died, at an 

 advanced age. Among many important works illustrated wholly or in 

 part by him were Holbrook's "Ichthyology of South Carolina," and 

 "North American Herpetology." 



Mr. Marshall, who has been employed entirely in mounting birds, 

 manifests increased skill. 



A number of mammals and skeletons have been mounted at the estab- 

 lishment of n. A. Ward, in Eochester, I:^. Y., usually with very satisfac- 

 tory results. 



The photographic gallery in the new building has been fitted up with 

 the purpose of making it one of the most complete establishments for 

 scientific photography. 



A temporary force of stone cutters and polishers has been employed 

 in dressing the collection of building-stones gathered in connection with 

 the tenth census by Dr. Hawes, and 1,322 cubes have been finished. 



Mr. George P. Merrill has been engaged in lapidary work in the same 

 connection, and the microscopic slides of building-stones which he has 

 prepared are considered to be as good as the best. 



Detailed statements are on file showing the work accomplished by the 

 several i)reparators. 



