54 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1912. 



Columbia, were mounted by Mr. N. R. Wood, who also renovated 

 and installed the specimens of poultry and pigeons in the collection 

 of domestic animals. The moving and arrangement in the new 

 building of the extensive series of skeletons w^as attended to by Mr. 

 J. W. Scollick, osteologist, and during the progress of this work 

 the collection was thoroughly overhauled and cleaned, and some of 

 the specimens were remounted. Mr. William Palmer was engaged 

 almost continuously in the installation of exhibits, especially of 

 birds, reptiles, fishes, domestic animals, and the local fauna. The 

 arrangement of the marine invertebrates, under the direction of 

 Dr. Paul Bartsch, has made good headway, but as the exhibition has 

 been planned on an entirely new basis which involves many details 

 of preparation and mounting, its early completion is not to be ex- 

 pected. An important innovation in connection with this work is 

 the painting of numy of the specimens in imitation of their natural 

 colors by a method wdiich promises the preservation of these colors 

 in alcoholic preparations. This is being skillfully done by Miss 

 Violet Dandridge, who has given much time to the study of the 

 coloration of these animals in nature. 



For the reserve collections of mammals and birds over 3.200 speci- 

 mens were treated, consisting in the preparation and poisoning of 

 small to medium skins, the tanning of large skins, and the cleaning 

 of skulls and skeletons. All tanning work was done by contract. 



Exhibition coUections. — The present plans for the exhibition col- 

 lections of the department of biology relate only to zoology, a satis- 

 factory display of plant life presenting difficulties which have not 

 yet been worked out. The space allotted to zoology in the new build- 

 ing comprises all of the first and second stories in the west wing, 

 the w^estern section of the west range in the first story, and the entire 

 west range in the second story. ^A^iile marked progress had been 

 made with the installations in nearly all branches, only about one- 

 half of the area indicated had been opened to the public by the close 

 of the year, and in this, moreover, the arrangements were still mainly 

 provisional in character. The delays which have occurred have been 

 due in part to the necessity of awaiting the construction of cases, 

 but much more to the slow and painstaking processes of preparation 

 to which a large proportion of zoological specimens must be sub- 

 jected to render them presentable, and as only the highest class of 

 workmanship has been encouraged most excellent results are being 

 reached. 



The first story is wholly devoted to the mounted skins of mammals 

 and birds arranged faunally, the latter group occupying the range 

 and a portion of the north hall of the wing, both of which, but no 

 other part of this story, had been made accessible to the public. 



