ES) NATURAL SCIENCE [July 
one of the orang-utan skeletons is mounted, after having been 
several months in the case, began suddenly to sprout, and bore 
ereen twigs for several months, during which period it proved 
the chief attraction in the Museum. 
We never yet knew a Curator who did not require more room, 
Needless to say Dr Hanitsch proves no exception. 
LESSONS FROM CHICAGO 
WE have received the Annual Report of F. J. V. Skiff, the Director of 
the Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, for 1896-7. The staff of this 
Museum comprises: G, A. Dorsey, Acting Curator of Anthropology ; 
C, F. Millspaugh, Curator of Botany; O. C. Farrington, Curator, and 
H. W. Nicholls, Assistant Curator, Department of Geology ; D. G. 
Elliot, Curator, and S. E. Meek, Assistant Curator, Department of 
Zoology ; C. B. Cory, Curator of Ornithology. The Librarian is 
J. Dieserud, and the Recorder, D. C. Davies. These and others 
have given numerous lectures on subjects connected with the 
Museum or with the explorations of its officials. The Museum 
issued during the year eight publications, of which the most 
important was “ Archaeological Studies among the Ancient Cities 
of Mexico,” by W. H. Holmes. The library is making satisfactory 
progress; but since the Museum only receives, by purchase or 
exchange, ninety-two periodicals, it cannot be considered particu- 
larly complete in that department. We notice, however, that a 
list of all the periodicals in all the libraries of Chicago has been 
prepared, and this no doubt will lead to the co-operation of the 
numerous institutions in that city. 
Among the accessions to this Museum are several hundred 
Etruscan antiquities of earthenware and bronze, excavated under 
the direction of Prof. Frothingham in 1895-6; Egyptian anti- 
quities, presented by Prof. Flinders Petrie; ancient pottery from 
(reorgia ; a meteorite from Mexico, and specimens from eighteen 
other meteorites. Among the notable collections obtained by the 
sotanical Department during the past year are Pringle’s Mexican 
plants, Palmer’s Durango collection, Nash’s and Pollard’s Florida and 
Mississippi plants, the Sandberg Idaho collection, Gaumer’s last Yucatan 
species, Jenman’s British Guiana and Rusby’s Orinoco collections, 
Schlechter’s South African species ; the complete lichen herbarium of 
Calkins; and the important personal herbarium of the late Dr Schott, 
the latter including plants from Yucatan, Panama, and Mexico. 
We have not mentioned the numerous collections obtained by 
D. G. Elliot and the members of his expedition to Somali Land. We 
have received a special report on the fish they collected, containing 
descriptions of some of the new and rare species. With reference 
to this expedition Prof. Elliot writes: “It is the only proper 
