REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 53 



In addition to tliose already mentioned as having made direct contri- 

 butions to the collections, the Museum in general, and this department 

 in particular, has benefited greatly through the friendly cooperation 

 of Maj. Timothy E. Wilcox, V. S. A., Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Avho has sent 

 in many interesting si)ecimens from time to time from the vicinity of 

 his post; to Dr. Sheldon Jackson, of the Bureau of Education, who 

 transmitted a skin of Spermophile, and to Prof. F. A. Ward, Kochester, 

 K. Y., Prof. William Trelease, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. 

 Louis, and Dr. P. L. Sclater, London, England. The curator states 

 that many of the ofticers and employees of the Museum have inter- 

 ested themselves in obtaining specimens for the collection, no less than 

 eighteen different persons having rendered such assistance during the 

 year. 



Regarding the plans which the curator has in mind for improving 

 the collection of mammals, he writes: 



What the Museum now needs moi^e thau anything else, in my opinion, is a better 

 reiireseutation of exotic mammals. Of about 410 genera usually recognized, we 

 liossess repre^sentatives of only 240, leaving 170 genera entirely unrepresented. 

 Furthermore, many of the genera now in the collection are represented only by a 

 single imperfect skin, or a single skeleton. (Of skulls I have taken no notice.) On 

 very many occasions, in order to become acquainted with the character of a genus 

 or species, I have been compelled to extract the skull (often imperfect) from the 

 single siiecimen in the collection. 



The study of mammals has greatly increased of late, and the investigations are 

 taking a wider range than ever before. In this work the need of specimens of 

 ibreigu groups is strongly felt, as it is recognized that work upon American mate- 

 rial alone is liable to lead to one-sided results. There is no full collection of foreign 

 mammals in America, and at present our students must limit their researches, or go 

 abroad to study. In my opinion, the national collection should endeavor to fill this 

 need. 



The number of specimens added to the collection during the year 

 was 1,484. In the catalogue of skins, skulls, and alcoholics 1,872 

 entries were made, the last entry in June, 1894, having been 60,G07, 

 and in June, 1895, 02,479. Skeletons are considered as anatomical 

 specimens, and are entered in the catalogue of the department of com- 

 parative anatomy. In the volume in which are entered the specimens 

 belonging to the deposit of the Department of Agricnlture 6,402 entries 

 have been made, the last entry in June, 1894, having been 65,818, and 

 in June, 1895, 72,220. 



DEPAllTMENT OF BITIDS. 



The curator, Mr. Eobert llidgway, reports the number of accessions 

 as somewhat in advance of those received in 1894, while the number 

 of entries in the catalogue has been more than 1,100 in excess of that 

 year. The scientific value of the accessions of this year is also reported 

 as greater than of those received in 1894. The curator mentions the 

 names of thirty establishments and individuals from whom important 

 additions to the collections have been received. The list is headed with 



