DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALS. 205 



works of refereuce on mammals. Information regarding the Cetaceans 

 to which the name of " Cowflsh " is sometimes supplied was furnished 

 to Mr. John Robinson, of Salem, Mass. A considerable number of 

 mammals were identified for Mr. G. S.Miller, jr., of Cambridge, Mass. 

 Mr. Richard Rathbun, U. S, Fish Commission, received information re- 

 garding the mammals found in and about the Galapagos Islands. An 

 account of the geographical distribution of the American caribous and 

 the European reindeer was furnished Mr. Chas. F. Danfurtii, of Ro.ston, 

 Mass. Some facts concerning the " musk-rat" of Anglo-Indians, were 

 transmitted to Dr. Elliott ('ones. 



In July the curator i)rcparedfor publication a description of two new 

 species of mammals from East Africa, and revised tlie i)roofs of a paper 

 descriptive of new speices of bats, by Dr. II. Allen, on account of the ab- 

 sence of the autlK)r. In September he prepared a rei)ort for the year 

 1890. He was re<piested, in December, to examine the condition of the 

 bats in the custody of Dr. Harrison Allen, and went to Philadelphia 

 for that purpose. 



The collection was found in satisfactory condition. The invoices were 

 checked up anew. Only one specimen could not be accounted for. 

 This had apparently been misplaced. 



In March the curator began work on a monograph of the insectivora 

 of North America, and in connection therewith received large collec- 

 tions of moles from the American Museum of Natural History, New 

 York, from the private collection of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, and from the 

 collection of the department of agriculture, under hischarge. The curator 

 acted in the capacity of acting curatoi-in charge on several occasions. 



The general condition of the colle<'tion as regards pr<'servation has 

 not altered materially since tin*, hist report. On one or two occasions 

 insects were found to l)e at work on the mounted specimens in the ex- 

 hibition series, but they were destroyed l)efore any considerable damage 

 was done. 



The number of s])ecimens in the several series June 30, 1801, was as 



follows: 



Number of mouuted skius iu the exhibition series 811 



Number of skius and alcoholics in the study and reserve series - - 8, 767 



Skins and alcoholics received duriujuj the year 465 



