REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF REPTILES 

 IN THE U, S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



By LEONHARD Stkjneger, Acting Curator. 



Up to the time when the present Curator was appointed and assumed 

 control of the department, the work performed during the year con- 

 sisted chiefly in the ordinary routine. Upon assuming his new duties he 

 found that before any other work could be properly undertaken, a 

 thorough overhauling of the entire collection would be necessary, in 

 order to ascertain just what specimens the collection contained, and to 

 arrange them — so far as the space alloted to the department would 

 allow — in such a manner that it would be possible at any time to lay 

 hand on any specimen desired. A beginning was made with the re- 

 serve series of North American species, and this work was still pro- 

 gressing at the end of the year covered by this report. At the same 

 time a large number of specimens, which previously had not been cata- 

 logued, were entered upon the Museum register. 



The most important accession received during the year is the collec- 

 tion made by the naturalists of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer 

 Albatross, during the circumnavigation of South America, and particu- 

 larly during the stay at the Galapagos Islands. The collection con- 

 tains three hundred and nineteen specimens, which have been sent to 

 Prof. E. D. Cope, in Philadelphia, for special report. 



From Mr. J. F. Le Baron, in charge of the survey of the proposed 

 canal through the Isthmus of Nicaragua, an interesting collection of 

 forty-four specimens, brought together by Dr. L. F. H. Birt, the surgeon 

 of the surveying party, was received in good condition. The Curator, by 

 press of routine work, was prevented from working it up immediately, 

 but he hopes to be able to report more fully upon it later on. 



The Royal Zoological Museum, of Florence, Italy, sent in exchange a 

 small but very interesting collection from that county, especially from 

 the islands surrounding it. 



Mr. H. W. Henshaw, of the Bureau of Ethnology, presented quite a 

 number of specimens, chietlybatrachians, from the eastern United States, 

 among which were numerous specimens of Chorophilm triseriatus cor- 

 poralU. 



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