70 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



The collection of lish skeletons is in bad shape owing to cramped ([narters ; but 

 little or nothing can be done with it, althongh it is hoped that a little room may be 

 made available by placing material now in the study series on exhibition in the 

 cases recently placed above the wall case. 



Much can be done to improve the exhibition series by providing more descriptive 

 labels, and there are some gaps in the series of skeletons, especially among the iishes 

 and reptiles, that it is hoped may be lilled. There arc various series of specimens 

 which may be either introduced or added to, among them that commenced during 

 the year showing the modifications of the dermis and epidermis. A very important 

 series which it is hoped may be commenced soon is that showing the morphology of 

 the bones of the mammalian ear and hyoid. Another important piece of work which 

 has merely been begun is the representation of extinct forms in the series of skele- 

 tons. It is desirable that this should be done in order that the relations of existing 

 animals may be properly understood, and it is proposed to introduce in their proper 

 places typical fossils or casts of fossils, supplemented by figures of the entire skele- 

 ton, these to be accompanied by suitable explanatory labels giving the anatomical 

 characters, affinities, and geological range of the various orders or other groups. 

 It is also desirable to extend the tooth series, the series of domesticated animals, 

 and above all the synoptic series of invertebrates. 



In this connection the curator would call attention to the J'act that the care of the 

 fossil vertebrates takes much of his time, and tiiat the time of the one preparator 

 and one skilled laborer allotted to the department of comparative anatomy is very 

 largely occupied with work for the departments of mammals and paleontology. 



The first aud lasteutrie.s in the various catalogues of tlie departmeut 

 are shown in the following table: 



Last entry Last entry 



June 30. j June 30, 



1894. ' 1895. 



Increase. 



Mammals ' 49381 I 49419 38 



Birds ! 19287 19393 i lOG 



Reptiles and batrachians : 2936? 29382' 20 



Fishes i 20170 20185! 9 



Total ] j 173 



I I I 



DEPARTMENT OF PALEONTOLOGY. 



It has for many years been felt desirable to centralize all the paleon- 

 tological collections under one general administration, but not until 

 the prcvsent fiscal year has it been found possible to effect the necessary 

 arrangements. Hon. C. D. Walcott, Director of the F. S. Geological 

 Survey, has accepted the honorary charge of all the paleontologicnl col- 

 lections, with Mr. Charles Schuchert as assistant curator. The several 

 divisions of the department which have heretofore existed still remain, 

 with one exception, under the charge of the same ofiicers who have 

 hitherto controlled them. The principal object gained by the change is 

 that all paleontological material, as soon as it arrives at the Museum, is 

 assigned to the main departmeut, thus securing a better system of 

 record than formerly, aud thence it is assigned to the special division or 

 divisions of the department to which it belongs. It will now also be 

 possible to bring the work incident to the installation of all thei)aleou- 

 tological material under one uniform system, and at the same time to 



