108 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



cast of the Siloom inscription, and made a cast of the memorial medal- 

 lion of Prof. Joseph Henry. Only a few molds of animals have been 

 made during the year, but these have been very important. 



A Bottle-nosed whale (Mesoplodon bidens) was received whole, and a 

 complete mold of both sides was made, as also a separate mold of the 

 head with the month open. The largest of the specimens of the Gala- 

 pagos tortoises, collected by the Fish Commission steamer Albatross, 

 died in the Department of Liviug Animals, and a mold was made from 

 it. These molds are stored with others, and will be cast in due time. 



OSTEOLOGICAL PREPAEATOR. 



Mr. F. A. Lucas, Assistant Curator in the Department of Compara- 

 tive Anatomy, reports that the work of the past year has been very 

 largely devoted to the preparation of material, and to the care of that 

 already in the collection. 



The enlargement of the large exhibition case in the osteological hall, 

 and necessary alterations in the small case, have necessitated the mov- 

 ing of the entire series of specimens on exhibition and their complete 

 re-arrangement. 



The preparation of a much-needed card catalogue of alcoholic birds 

 has been commenced and is well advanced, and a large amount of work 

 has been done in classifying and caring for this valuable portion of the 

 collection. 



Some work has been done in the preparation of specimens of soft 

 anatomy, and some on invertebrate material, while the greater portion 

 of one month was passed in arranging vertebrate fossils, and in pre- 

 paring them for exhibition. 



The cast of a skeleton of Dinoceras, received from the Yale College 

 Museum has been mouted. 



At the close of the Cincinnati Exposition the entire labor of packing- 

 all the zoological material there exhibited by the Departments of Mam- 

 mals, Birds, Insects, and Comparative Anatomy was performed under 

 Mr. Lucas's direction, and the collections reached Washington in good 

 condition. 



The skeleton of a whale exhibited at Cincinnati was, on its return, 

 again hung from the ceiling of the Museum. Another whale skeleton 

 acquired by the Museum has also been put in place, and a third has 

 been moved to a new location in the osteological hall, and there sus- 

 pended from the wall on a plan devised by Mr. Lucas. 



The following table gives a summary of the material received and of 

 the work of preparation during the year : 



