REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1920. 83 



was spent by the associate curator, Dr. C, W. Richmond, as in a 

 preceding year, in piecing together old records of distribution of 

 specimens to other institutions. The importance of this work may be 

 easily perceived when it is stated that numerous actual type speci- 

 mens are sometimes involved, the tracing and recovery of which 

 amply repays for the trouble involved. As an illustration of the 

 occasional success attending these efforts, Doctor Richmond cites the 

 discovery that a collection of over three hundred and fifty mounted 

 birds had been sent to the Chicago Academy of Sciences in 1881. 

 The correspondence furnished the clue that they had been sent as a 

 loan, and an examination of the invoice which was finally brought to 

 light made it apparent that several type specimens had been included. 

 A few of the latter were returned in 1903, but the remainder could 

 not then be located. Information having been received in 1919 that 

 the Academy was disposing of all its old collection in an endeavor to 

 concentrate on certain educational lines, a request was made for the 

 return of all material with Smithsonian labels resulting in the re- 

 covery of no less than 268 specimens. Careful examination disclosed 

 among them seven additional type specimens and a considerable num- 

 ber of important specimens, chiefly from the collection of the United 

 States Exploring Expedition. All these were thoroughly cleaned 

 and made into study skins furnishing enough work to keep the taxi- 

 dermists busy for some time. The types recovered were as follows : 

 Thalassidroma plumbea, Sterna antarctica, Gaprimulgus conterminus, 

 Rallus luridus, Geospiza peruviensis, all described by Peale, Ecto- 

 pistes margineUa Woodhouse, and Anser rossi Baird. Incidental to 

 other curatorial work, a number of unnumbered skins which at some 

 early date had been distributed in the collection without having been 

 catalogued and numbered were picked out and the deficiency sup- 

 plied. 



In the division of reptiles the annual cleaning of the shelves and 

 examination of all the jars in the collection for the purpose of re- 

 plenishing the alcohol was nearly completed. The transfer of Mr. 

 Goclbold early in March to another office resulted in a temporary 

 discontinuation of the card catalogue of the specimens. 



Division of Fishes. — Both the upper and lower floors of the storage 

 have been thoroughly gone over, the containers refilled where neces- 

 sary, bottles and shelves cleaned, many labels restored, and, where 

 necessary, specimens changed to more suitable receptacles. The ad- 

 dition of the family numbers to the labels has been completed with 

 the exception of a few small collections. 



Division of Insects. — In Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Hy- 

 menoptera the named collections are being gradually transferred 

 into the tray system of installation. The cork-lined drawers are 

 turned over to the section of Lepidoptera when emptied hy this proc- 



