REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE ANATOMY 

 IX THE (J. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 



By Frederick W. True, Acting Curator. 



The activities of the past year were exerted chiefly in the direction of 

 reducing the accumulations of osteological material in the preparators' 

 workshops and storage rooms. A large number of skulls and skeletons 

 were cleaned and made available for students or for exhibition pur- 

 poses. 



Definite plans were made for the beginning of an exhibition series of 

 anatomical preparations of soft parts, but at the last moment the pre- 

 parator to whom this work was to be entrusted was detached from the 

 force to accompany the astronomical expedition to Angola. It has been 

 found necessary, therefore, to postpone the commencement of this un- 

 dertaking. 



The most important accessions during the year belonged to the classes 

 of mammals and birds. The total number of the vertebrates received 

 was small. As regards invertebrates it may be said that no attempt 

 has thus far been made to acquire specimens for this department. The 

 material received by the Museum is, of course, divided among the de- 

 partments that have to do with the invertebrates. When the exhibi- 

 tion scries of soft parts is begun, it is to be presumed that the necessary 

 material will be drawn from the collections of these departments. 



Tin most important and striking addition to the exhibition scries of 

 skeletons was the skeleton of an Atlantic Eight whale, Balcena biscay- 

 ensis. This was purchased from Prof. II. A. Ward, of Rochester, New 

 York, who procured it from Amagansett, Long Island. The skeleton, 

 as now mounted, is about 43 feet long. The skeletons of several other 

 important cetaceans were added to thecollection during the year. Most 

 prominent among these is Sowerby's whale, Mesoplodon bidens, a male 

 specimen of which was obtained through the crew of the U. S. Life- 

 Saving Station at Atlantic City, New Jersey (('apt. .1. L. Gaskell, 

 keeper). Further mention of this specimen will be found in the report 

 of the department of mammals, (p. 350.) 



