REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 57 



were also received from the U. S. Fish Commission aud the Department 

 of Agricultare. 



This collection, including both the exhibition aud study series, is in 

 excellent conditiou, every accession being carefully catalogued, labeled, 

 and disposed of as soou as it is received. 



The curator has devoted most of his time, when not engaged in work 

 on the accessions, to the preparation of the second volume of "Life His- 

 tories of North American Birds," which is now in the hands of the 

 printer. 



The last catalogue entry made in June, 1894, was 27088 and in June, 

 1895, 27655. 



DEPARTMENT OF REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 



The material added to the collections during recent years has been of 

 special value from a scientific standpoint, and the past year has been 

 no exception. The number of specimens received in 1895 shows a slight 

 increase over the records of previous years, Nearly 1,100 specimens 

 were added to the collection, the largest number heretofore received in 

 any one year being 1,055. This was the total for the year ending 

 June 30, 1892, when the material from the Death Valley Expedition 

 was received. By far the most important collection was that sent in 

 by Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., of the luternational Boundary Com- 

 mission, which was found upon examination to contain a number of 

 new species. Dr. A. K. Fisher, of the Department of Agriculture, made 

 collections in the vicinity of the Mexican boundary, and material of 

 considerable value was received from him during the year. A small 

 but interesting collection of reptiles from the Jombene Range, East 

 Africa, was received from Mr. William Astor Chanler. Several val- 

 uable collections were transmitted by the U. S. Fish Commission, 

 including material obtained by Messrs. Evermann aud Hirsch from 

 the Maumee Basin, and by Mr. C. IT. Townsend from the Galapagos 

 Islands. Dr. William L. Abbott presented material from Turkestan, 

 and Prof. John Macoun, of Ottawa, sent a collection of Garter snakes 

 from Canada. A specimen of AmbJijostoma annulatum, of which only 

 one example had previously been taken, was purchased from Messrs. 

 H. H. and C. S. Brimley, of Raleigh, N. C. A few specimens of rare 

 New Mexican snakes were also purchased. 



In addition to those whose names have already been mentioned, 

 reference should be made to the contributions of Prof. T. D. A. Cock- 

 erell, of Las Cruces, N. Mex., who transmitted a number of specimens 

 of reptiles; Mr. Hubert Brown, of Tucson, Ariz., who sent in several 

 specimens of lizards; Mr. Henry G. Hubbard, of Washington, D. C, 

 who collected specimens of Rana cvsoptis in Florida; Mr. H. Candlin,of 

 Kerrville, Tex., who sent specimens of snakes from that region, and 

 Dr. O. Boettger, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, who transmitted in 



