KKI'Oirr OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. If)! 



Ciissville, jMo. : I'lof. 15. W. Hvcrnianii, of tlie I'. S. l-'isli Commission; 

 L. Beldin.i;-, iStockton, Ctil. 



The work of Dr. St('Jiiej4er on tlie i)roi)0.sed .su[»i)lemeiitiiry \()liim(' 

 of the Noiueiiclator Zoologicus has progressed as fast as couhl be 

 exix'cted, and by the end of the year more than 17,000 generic terms 

 had been card-catah)giied and arranged alphabetically by classes. It 

 is evident that the original maximum estimate of 20,000 genera will l>e 

 reache<l or even exceeded. 



Excellent facilities for studying the collections have been extended 

 to Prof E. D. Cope, who, among other subjects studied, made extended 

 anatomical researches for his new ophiological system, and to Dr. O. 

 P. Hay, for liuishing his work on the Indiana reptiles. 



The estimate of the curator shows the status of the collection on 

 June 30, 1893, to be as follows: 



Si>ffimen8. 



Reserve series 18, 222 



Duplicate series 8, 705 



Unassorted and exotics fi, 313 



(iraud total :«, 240 



Last catalogue entry iu .June, 1892, 18,191. 

 Last catalogue entry in June, 1893, 20,493. 



The exhibit of the reptiles and batrachians at the World's Colum- 

 bian Exposition comprised two classes of objects, viz : (1) Groups of 

 casts and mounted specimens, and (2) a series of specimens illustrating 

 representative American families. 



Owing to lack of space and time three groups only were exhibited, 

 though work on several more had been planned and partly begun. 



The tirst group consisted of 14 casts of some of the more typical 

 poisonous snakes occurring within the United States, as for instance, 

 various species of rattlesnakes, the water moccasin, the co])perhead, 

 and the harlequin snake. The snakes were shown coiled or crawling 

 among rocks, roots of trees, dead leaves, moss, etc. The accessories 

 were not intended in every case to represent the actual surroundings of 

 the species, as the specimens belonged to species inhabiting widely sepa- 

 rated localities, and were exhibited together for the purpose of contrast- 

 ing the various types. The casts composing the group were mostly of 

 plaster, while two were made of a glue composition. They have in every 

 instance been made from specimens sent alive to the Museiun, several 

 of them exi)ressly for the Chicago exhibit. Among these I would call 

 special attention to the magnificent Texas rattlesnake [Crotnlus atrox) 

 and the red California rattler (C. ruhidiis) from southern California. 



The second group comprised 33 casts and mounted specimens of 

 ditierent types of land and fresh water turtles inhabiting the United 

 States, including gophers, box tortoises, terrapins, mud turtles, soft- 

 shelled turtles, etc., the accessories, as in the snake group, illustrating in 

 ageneral way only their natural sm roundings. water and sandy beaches 

 consequently predominating. 



