1901.] NATUKAJ, SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 775 



REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Duriug the past year a large part of the Conservator's time has 

 been occupied by his (kities as assistant to the Curators in other 

 departments. It has, however, been possible to make considerable 

 progress in the rearrangement of the ornithological collections. 

 All of the mounted water bu'ds, with the exception of the Anatidcz 

 and Laridw, have been carefully examined by the taxidermist, 

 relabeled with both common and technical names, and installed on 

 the ornithological floor of the new building. They completely fill 

 the large case erected last year, and show to much better advan- 

 tage than they did in the old gallery. During the close of the 

 present year three additional cases have been furnished by the 

 Curators, which it is estimated will accommodate about one-third 

 of the entire mounted collection. Labels for most of the remain- 

 ing water birds have ah-eady been prepared, and it is expected all 

 the new cases will be filled and the new floor opened to the public 

 in the spring. 



For the study collection eighteen moth-proof cans and three 

 large wooden cases have been purchased, permitting the abandon- 

 ment of almost all of the temporary storage boxes that we were 

 forced to make use of some years ago. With a similar provision 

 next year the entire collection of bird skins will be accommodated 

 in modern cases and rendered absolutely safe from moths and dust. 

 Considerable time has been required to effect the systematic arrange- 

 ment of the skins in the new cases, but as a result they are now 

 more accessible than ever before. The Mcllhenny collection of 

 Alaskan birds, which was formally acquired early in the year, has 

 been incorporated with the general collection, as also a valuable 

 local collection of water birds, the gift of Mr. H. W. Fowler. 



The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and the Pennsylvania 

 Audubon Society have continued to hold their meetings in the build- 

 ing and have done a great deal to stimulate the study of birds at 

 the Academy. Much aid has been rendered during the year to 

 ornithologists in other institutions, both by correspondence and by 

 loan of specimens, and many visiting naturalists have made use of 

 the collections. 



Among other important additions to the department may be 

 mentioned a series of birds from Lake Rudolf, Africa, from Dr. 



