350 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



iected at Charlestown, New Hampshire. A second specimen of Yes- 

 pertilio longicrus was received from Judge J. G. Swan. Col. Cecil Clay 

 obtained after much exertion, and presented to the Museum, the skin 

 of a full-grown male moose. It is intended that this individual shall be 

 included in the group of moose now in course of preparation. A small 

 male deer, believed to be Cariacus gymnotus, was presented by the 

 Philadelphia Zoological Society, through Dr. A. E. Brown. This is 

 the third individual of this species received from the Society. 



Of exotic mammals the most important, so far as the exhibition 

 series is concerned, were the monkeys and lemurs, twenty-nine in num- 

 ber, purchased from Messrs. H. A. Ward, E. Gerrard, and Dr. J. Biitti- 

 koper. The species were all new to the collection. Among the lemurs 

 were several of the most important and most attractive species of 

 Propithecas. A considerable collection of European bats, Vesperugo 

 kuhlii, Vesperlilio nattereri, etc., were received from Dr. Senna Augelo 

 in exchange for American species. 



From the Royal Zoological Museum, Florence, were received in 

 exchange a skin of Ovis musimon, a skeleton of Monachus albiventer, 

 and a number of European bats. 



Dr. Birt collected in Graytown, Nicaragua, a number of interesting 

 specimens, including the Spiny rat, Echinomys semispinosus,a, form not 

 hitherto obtained in Central America. It is a representative of the 

 Octodontidce, a family usually considered strictly South American. 



Of aquatic mammals the most important accession during the year 

 was a fresh male specimen of Sowerby's whale, Mesoplodon bidens, 

 which was captured by the crew of the U. S. life-saving station at 

 Atlantic City, New Jersey (Capt. J. L. Gaskell, keeper). This is the 

 second specimen ever taken in American waters and the first fresh 

 specimen ever seen by American naturalists. 



Among the collections made by the naturalists of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission Steamer Albatross, during a cruise around Cape Horn, were 

 a few South American mammals. The most important specimens re- 

 ceived were the skeleton of a porpoise, Prodelphinus longirostris, obtained 

 between Panama and the Galapagos Islands, and several skins of the 

 sea-lions of the Galapagos Islauds. Two mounted skins of the West 

 Indian seal, Monachus tropicalis, were received from Prof. H. A. Ward 

 in exchange. 



As must necessarily be the case each year, the routine work which 

 occupied the most time was the identification, cataloguing, and label- 

 ing of accessions. A new card-catalogue was made of the skins which 

 have accumulated in the tanks in the taxidermist's shop. When speci- 

 mens are mounted or distributed the cards corresponding to them are 

 removed from the catalogue, and it is always possible therefore to 

 determine what material is really in the hands of the taxidermist. A 

 large number of alcoholic specimens were measured preparatory to 

 beiug converted Into dry skins, but for the reasons already given the 

 taxidermists were unable to begin work upon them. 



