Custodian.] 14 [Miiy 0, 



been three hundred and nineteen ; the greatest number of 

 visitors, during any one day, eight hundred and forty, on the 

 second of November. The facilities of approach to the 

 museum offered by the new line of horse cars, will doubtless 

 augment these numbers in the future. 



The additions to the department of Mammals and Com- 

 parative Anatomy during the year, are as follows : skele- 

 tons, 1 ; parts of skeletons, 1 ; skulls, 6 ; skins of mammals, 

 9 ; mammals in sjnrits, 4 ; miscellaneous, 2 ; total 23. The 

 most important of these is a collection of skulls from Ariz- 

 ona, given by Dr. J. W. Meriiam, and a fresh skin of a male 

 caribou, two years old, received from Messrs. J. H. and C. 

 D. Preslio. About two hundred immounted skins have been 

 c refuUy examined, poisoned and packed away in glazed 

 cases, where they will remain in safety until they can be 

 mounted. The horns of ruminants, which were taken 

 down during the construction of a gallery in the room 

 devoted to skeletons and skulls, have been replaced in posi- 

 tion, and newly labelled. Other additions have been made 

 to this department by purchase, and through the favor ^ of 

 Drs. G. H. Brown, J. B. S. Jackson, W. M. Ogden, Messrs. 

 W. T. Brigham, J. W. Clarke, W. W. Goodhue, J. R. John- 

 son, J. C. Little, Jr., S. J. Mixter, J. Norton, F. G. Sanborn, 

 C. A. Stearns and the Smithsonian Institution. 



Two cases have been added to the Bird cabinets by closing 

 up windows on the southwesterly side of the square rooms, 

 and new skylights constructed, which throw a much bet- 

 ter light u]ion the specimens ; by the removal of the rep- 

 tiles from the main hall, the whole of the first gallery lias 

 been devoted to birds, thus partially relieving the crowded 

 condition of certain cases, and enabling the Curator to 

 make some progi-ess toward a special collection of Massachu- 

 setts birds ; specimens of the latter are solicited, either in the 



