42 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



WOEK OF STUDENTS AND INVESTIGATORS AT THE MUSEUM. 



A iiiiuiber of persous have availed themselves of the privilege of 

 examining Museum material in the offices and laboratories of the cura- 

 tors. These include students, specialists from various parts of the 

 country who had come to Washington for the purpose of consulting the 

 collections, and officers of several of the scientific bureaus of the Gov- 

 erninent. 



])r, Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., spent considerable time in the dei)art- 

 nient of mammals studying the large collection from the Mexican 

 boundary which he had been foremost in gathering in connection with 

 his work on the survey. Many specimens Mere also sent to him at Fort 

 INIyer, Va., for examination and comi)arison. He has in view the pub- 

 lication of an extensive report on the geographical distribution and 

 relationships of the various forms inhabiting the southern border of 

 the United States. The officers of the Division of Ornithology and 

 Mammalogy of the Department of Agriculture have had free access to 

 the mammal collections. 



Mr. J. M. Stowell, of the Lelaud Stanford Junior University, visited 

 the Museum during the summer of 1894, for the purpose of studying 

 the methods of taxidermy employed here. 



The committee on classification and nomenclature of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union held its sessions in the office of the curator of the 

 department of birds, and made daily use of the study series, thereby 

 deciding numerous questions of importance in connection with the 

 Union's "Check List of JSTorth A merican Birds." Mr. Charles B. Cory, of 

 Boston, Mass., consulted the collections in connection with the identifi- 

 cation of species of Ehdnea from San Domingo. Mr. William Brewster 

 brought to the Museum a number of specimens of North American and 

 Mexican birds, whose correct determination necessitated a comparison 

 with types and other specimens in the Museum. Dr. A. K. Fisher, of 

 the Department of Agriculture, examined specimens on various occa- 

 sions, mainly in connection with his work at the Department, Maj. 

 Charles E. Bendire, honorary curator of the department of oology in 

 the Museum, frequently consulted the collections of birds in connection 

 witli the identification of s[)ecimcus, and also to aid him iu flxng the 

 geographical range of species included in the second volume of his -' Life 

 Histories of North American Birds." Mr. Henry C. Oberholser, of the 

 Department of Agriculture, has almost daily consulted the study series 

 iu connection Mith special investigations which he is conducting, and 

 also with a view to obtaining a more detailed knowledge of the North 

 American species and subspecies of birds. Mr. R. P. Currie has made 

 similar use of the collections. Mr. E. E. xVrmstrong did considerable 

 volunteer work in the de])artment of birds, at the same time improving 

 the opportunity to study the collections. 



Dr. C Baur, of the University of Chicago, who was engaged for a time 



