REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF VERTEBRATE FOSSILS 

 IN THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 1801. 



By Fkkdkhkj A. Lucas, J-sfiistanl Citrator. 



There have been few aecessioiits to this department during the year, 

 tlie ouly one of importance beiuj;- a [)artial sknll of Bison lofifrons from 

 Florida, presented by Gen. L. W. Colby. 



Preliminary steps luive been taken for the preparation of a new and 

 much needed catalogne of the material belonging to this dei^artnient, 

 most of the specimens at present being entered in the books of the de- 

 partment of comparative anatomy, while in many instances no name, 

 or if any, an incorrect one, appears in the catalogue. 



Twenty-seven specimens have been mounted for exhibition during 

 the year, and a Avail case has been built along the east side of the 

 southeast court for the reception of a large and valuable series of West- 

 ern fossils being ]»repared under the direction of Prof. O. 0. Marsh. 



The card catalogue, prepared last year, shows 1,080 specimens, many 

 of them of great value, being the types of their respective species. Of 

 these ISO have been placed on exhibition and others will be added as 

 soon as possible. The greater portion will remain in the reserve series, 

 for the number of duplicates is small. 



The specimens have been roughly classified, and arranged in trays, 

 and although much work is needed to put them in thorough order, they 

 are now in good condition and are available for further study. 



This department is very much in need of more room, both for the 

 study and exhil)ition series, the only Ave cases for which space is avail- 

 able being completely lilled. 



A large amount of unclassitied material is now in storage, and while 

 a portion of this is i)robably of little value, yet much of it is important 

 for study and exhibition purposes, and owing to lack of space it is im- 

 possible to examine the specimens and render them available. 



A good study series is extremely desirable in order to ])roperly name 

 the si)ecimens which, from time to time, are sent to the Museum for 

 identitication, and until more room can be obtained thisimportant por- 

 tion of the collection must suffer. 



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