REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 55 



Miiat progress has been made iu cariug for the collections, and also the 

 present condition of the exhibition and study series: 



The collectious have been thoroughly iuspected at proper intervals, and fumi- 

 gated with bisulphide of carbon to destroy any insects which niii-ht be present. No 

 insects have been found, however, and, except in the exhibition cases, few of which 

 are sufficiently tight to prevent the ingress of insects or to allow of effective fumi- 

 gation, and in the old Salvin cases in the west basement, there is little danger to be 

 apprehended in this direction. 



Some changes have heeu made m th<' mounted collection, as follows: A limited 

 number of badly mounted specimens have been remounted, and other specimens too 

 dilapidated for exhibiticm have been replaced by better ones. The taxidermist has 

 been engaged for several months past in renovating the entire mounted collection, 

 subjecting each specimen to a process of cleaning, which, it is hoped, will result in 

 a material improvement in this part of the collection. 



A volunteer assistant, Mr. E. E. Armstrong, spent over two months iu the depart- 

 ment of birds, in this time lining with sheet cotton the trays (about HoO iu number) 

 contained in the 54 quarter-unit cases in the bird gallery, resulting in a great 

 improvement to this part of the study series. 



The condition of the exhibition series is very good, and improvements and renova- 

 tions are being made as time permits. The condition of tlie study series is excellent, 

 as far as that portion of the collection accommodated in the bird gallery is con- 

 cerned. The large birds, stored in the west basement, are in course of rearrange- 

 ment (and have been for several years), this having been proceeded with until the 

 cases of the new model provided for the ])urpose became exhausted. The work has 

 since been continued on sporadically to accommodate temporarily the increase iu the 

 collections. 



The work of Mr. Henry Marshall, taxidermist, is referred to more in 

 the chai)ter relating to the work of the Museum jneparators. 



The curator has completed an elaborate treatise on the Galapagoan 

 avifauna, and the pai)er has been submitted for publication. It consists 

 of some 650 pages of manuscript, accompanied by outline maps illus- 

 trating the range of all the species known to inhabit the archipelago, 

 and two plates of outline figures illustrating generic and specific charac- 

 ters. The text includes observations on the origin of the Galapagoan 

 avifauna and other matters. It will doubtless prove to be a Avork of 

 great value, and is, m the words of the curator, "in some respects the 

 most imi)ortant work that the author has written." 



The avifauna of the island satellites of Madagascar, from the Comoro 

 group to the Mascarenes, has been somewhat similarly worked up, 

 though in less detail. The paper embodying the results of this work 

 is based primarily on Dr. Abbott's collectious from Aldabra, Assump- 

 tion, Gloriosa, and the Seychelle Islands, but is not quite finished. 

 Progress has also been made on a comprehensive treatise on the birds 

 of North and 3Iiddle America. This is a work of great magnitude and 

 importance, and will constitute a valuable addition to the ornithological 

 literature of the Museum. 



The gallery in the Smithsonian building, used by the department of 

 birds for office iiurposes, is in many ways unsuited to work requiring 

 close application. There being no room in either building available for 

 the use of the curator, he has found it necessary to do a large part of 



