422 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, iss-j. 



Prong-horned antelope from Dakota. The loss of the manatee, moose, 

 and caribou, all very rare in captivity, teas sincerely regretted. 



During the year the increase of the collection rendered it necessary to 

 provide additional accommodations for animals of various kinds. A 

 room 30 by 14 feet for tropical reptiles and quadrupeds was built on tbe 

 north of the animal building as an addition to the latter. In this, which 

 was heated by a stove, were accommodated the elephant tortoises, 

 monkeys, turtles, terrapins, and alligators, and but for its warmth the 

 monkeys could not have survived the winter. The limited space for 

 visitors in this room has from the first been a serious drawback, inas- 

 much as there is nearly always a crowd around the cages containing the 

 monkeys, and the passage-way is very often completely blocked. 



On several occasions the crowd in the side room became so dense and 

 the press so great, that it became necessary to clear the room and close 

 it for a time. 



The grizzly bear and puma outgrew tlieir in-door quarters, and a large 

 outdoor cage 8 feet square was made for each and placed at the edge 

 of the lawn in front of the animal-house. In these the grizzly and puma 

 are quite comfortable, and are in much better health than they have 

 been before. Another large outdoor cage was made for the eagles and 

 placed on the lawn near the deer-yards, and for the first time since the 

 organization of the department these interesting birds are cared for 

 under proper conditions. The buffalo-yard has been subdivided by 

 cutting off a small section at one side to afford a yard for the Colum- 

 bian black-tail deer, which, during the rutting season, became so vicious 

 and dangerous that it was necessary to isolate him entirely. One of 

 the deer-yards was also divided into two, to furnish a separate yard for 

 the Mountain sheep. 



Owing to the small size of all the yards, great difficulty was experi- 

 enced during the rutting season in so isolating the bucks of all species 

 as to prevent their fighting and seriously injuring each other. Of the 

 large animals, the buffalos have proven to be the easiest to manage, 

 and the most satisfactory of all the ruminants. It is also to be noted 

 that they are in fine condition. 



Several new and more comfortable cages were fitted up in the closed 

 building for the raccoons, opossums, snakes, owls, etc. Printed labels 

 were provided to accompany specimens as soon as possible after their 

 receipt, and while the general system of labeling has been far short of 

 what it should be, and has not been even a suggestion of the possibili- 

 ties in that direction, it was the best that could be done under the cir- 

 cumstances. In the matter of routine work in the care of the collec- 

 tions, it would be impossible to speak too highly in praise of Mr. W. 0. 

 AVeedeu, keeper, and Mr. Selmon Cook, assistant, both of whom have 

 always beeu untiring in their efforts to keep the animals in good condi- 

 tion and to make the entire collection as attractive as possible, even 

 though laboring under the serious disadvantages of temporary and very 



