76 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



The skins and skeletons of two Prjevalsky wild horses have been 

 presented by the Duke of Bedford to the American Museum, and one of 

 them has just been received and is now being prepared for mounting. The 

 Prjevalsky horse is the only living wild species of the true horse (as distinct 

 from the asses and zebras). Inhabiting the most remote parts of Central 

 Asia, its existence has been doubted until recent years, and of the specimens 

 sent to Europe and this country, several have been merely Mongolian 

 ponies run wild or hybrid stock. The little herd in the Duke of Bedford's 

 park at Woburn Abbey however represents the true strain of the wild 

 species, the last survivor in nature of the numerous wild horses which in- 

 habited the northern world in prehistoric times. 



A PUBLIC READING-ROOM has been established on the second floor not 

 far from the elcA'ator, where visitors will find many volumes bearing upon 

 the collections and work of the Museum. These books include a number of 

 the more general or popular works on natural history, dealing with the 

 haunts and habits of many of the animals, and also books of travel or those 

 telling of the habits of the more savage races, their myths, traditions and 

 customs, or describing what is known of the history of the earlier inhabitants 

 of this country. 



The library of the Museum, which is one of the most complete of its 

 kind in this country, is also freely open to visitors, who may consult its 

 many volumes and periodicals. The reading-room is by no means intended 

 to take the place of the library, but rather to lead up to it, and its aim is 

 promptly and readily to furnish general information to visitors who may 

 wish to know more about the collections than can be gathered from the 

 labels and the objects themselves. 



Mr. Carl E. Akeley and Mr. C. William Beebe were elected life 

 members of the Museum at the meeting of the Executive Committee on 

 January 17, the former in recognition of his explorations and zoological 

 studies in Africa and for his contributions to science, the latter in recogni- 

 tion of his scientific work and his gift to the Museum of a collection of 

 mammals from the P^ast Indies. 



At the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association 

 Dr. Robert H. Lowie was elected associate editor of the American Antliropol- 

 ogisf, and editor f)f a new quarterly to be de\'oted to current anthropological 

 literature. 



Prof. C.-E. A. Winslow was elected \'ice-Presi(lent of the Society 

 of American Bacteriologists at its meeting in Washington during conven- 

 tion week. 



