40 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 
of Dr. J. C. Thompson, U. 8S. Navy, among the Tortugas Islands; of 
the Gulf Biological Station about Cameron, Louisiana; of Dr. Glover 
M. Allen in eastern Labrador; and of Mr. Owen Bryant and Dr. W. T. 
Grenfell in Newfoundland. Dr. C. G. Abbot, Director of the Smith- 
sonian Astrophysical Observatory, made a small but valuable collec- 
tion of marine animals at Flint Island, near Tahiti, while engaged 
in preparations for observing the solar eclipse of January 3, 1908. 
Acknowledgments are also due to Dr. Holton C. Curl, U. 8S. Navy, 
for his active cooperation in interesting persons in authority to secure 
material from the Philippine Islands and elsewhere. 
Important researches were carried on by the members of the scien- 
tific staff as a basis for the classification of the collections, and the 
publications of the year were especially extensive and valuable. But 
few sets of specimens were distributed to educational institutions, as 
little opportunity was found for the separation of duplicates and 
their labeling and packing for this purpose. The exchanges were also 
limited for the same reason, consisting mainly of insects, fishes, and 
marine invertebrates. The number of specimens sent to specialists 
outside of Washington for study and description was very large. 
Mammals.—The extensive collections from Doctor Abbott and 
Doctor Mearns have been referred to above. Noteworthy among the 
other additions is a fine specimen of the rare Chinese antelope known 
as the Takin (Budorcas), presented by Mr. Mason Mitchell, Amer- 
ican consul at Chungking. It is probably the only complete skin in 
America. Dr. J. C. Le Hardy, U.S. Army, contributed a skin of the 
Tamarao or dwarf wild carabao of the Philippine Islands, the first 
of this rare species to reach the Museum. The head and horns of a 
specimen of the large feral or wild carabao were presented by Col. 
E. B. Babbitt, U. S. Army, through Capt. Frank R. McCoy, U. 58. 
Army. From the National Zoological Park 186 animals, chiefly 
mammals, were received, including many large and important forms, 
such as the mule deer, pronghorn, Duvaucel’s deer, spring buck, lion, 
puma, Alaska grizzly bear, black bear, California sea lion, Steller’s 
sea lion, moufflon, zebu, and gray kangaroo. A series of 166 antlers 
and 26 scalps of the American elk from the Jackson Hole region, 
western Wyoming, was transmitted through the Department of Jus- 
tice. The antlers are of unusual size and together probably consti- 
tute the largest collection from one locality to be found in any 
museum. They are especially valuable for the study of individual 
variation in this species of deer. A skeleton of the porpoise known 
as Steno rostratus was purchased. Although skulls of porpoises of 
this genus are common in the larger museums, only a very few skele- 
tons have been preserved. 
In continuation of work done last year, all the skins of insectivores, 
squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, flying squirrels, Old World 
