REPORT OF ASSISTANT "SECRETARY. 169 



was ill Chicago during about lour weeks in Aj)iil and May, arranging 

 tlie eollections sent by this dei)artnient, and otherwise assisting in the 

 preparation of the National Museum exhibit. 



DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATI VK ANATOMY. 



The time of the acting curator, Mr. F. A. Lucas, has been chiefly 

 spent in the jireparatioii and instalhition of material for the World's 

 Columbian Exposition and in preparing copy for the numerous labels, 

 especially the somewhat lengthy descriptive labels for that portion of 

 the synoptic series of invertebrates there shown. 



There have been few important accessions, the most noteworthy 

 being a comparatively complete skeleton of the extinct Steller's Sea 

 Cow {Rliytina SteUeri), received through the instrumentality of Prof. B. 

 W. Evermann, of the U. S. Fish Commission. Dr. W. L. Abbott sent 

 4 skeletons of cetaceans {rroiMphimis) from the Indian Ocean, and 

 also a fine example of the Aldabra Tortoise ( Testudo elephantina). An 

 important series of skulls of African mammals, collected by Mr. H. C. 

 Moore, is mentioned in the report of the curator of mammals. A fine 

 old male ]\Iountain Goat {Mazama americana) was procured from Mr. 

 Allen Eupert. 



A series of Sandwich Islands birds in spirits was secured by purchase 

 and gift from Mr. Scott i>. Wilson, and it is hoped that a study of 

 these may throw a little light on the relationship of the avifauna of 

 those islands. 



Attention has been given to tilling up gaps in the exhibition series, 

 the additions being forms representing families, or important divisions 

 of families. The general exhibition series of mammal skeletons is now 

 fairly full, but few important forms being needed, while a limited num- 

 ber of pieces might perhaps be witlidrawn. Many additions are neces- 

 sary to the series of birds, while the collection of skeletons of fishes is 

 very incomplete. The number of mounted skeletons is designedly 

 restricted, as the distinctive features of various groups can be more 

 clearly shown by a moderate than by a large number of specimens. On 

 the other hand, the study series can not be too large, for only by large 

 series of specimens can the relationships of species and the amount of 

 individual variation be determined. 



Among the series supplementing the general collection of skeletons, 

 and illustrating various jxnnts of anatomy and morphology, that show- 

 ing the homologies of the i)rincipal bones was complet<'d for the Chicago 

 Exposition. 



Among the projected seiies is one showing some of the modifications 

 of tlie skeleton for oflCense or defense, one to illustrate the mori)hology 

 of the hyoid ami branchial arches, and one to show the relations of the 

 bones of the ear. 



Work on the study series has been mainly confined to such rearrange- 

 ment of material as has been rendered necessarv bv the steadv growth 



