62 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1922. 



In the division of birds 10 quarter-unit cases were rearranged, 

 standard museum labels were written for a large number of skins 

 received during the year, and many case and drawer labels were pre- 

 pared. Upward of 8,000 eggs were numbered in pencil, but the speci- 

 mens have not been distributed in the general collection. Satisfac- 

 tory progress has been made in rearranging the alcoholic collection, 

 and, with the volunteer assistance of Dr. A. Wetmore, in caring for 

 the collection of skeletons. A large number of uncleaned skeletons 

 awaits opportunity for attention by the preparators. The condition 

 of the study series as a whole remains good, though much could be 

 done toward betterment were adequate assistance available. 



During this past year about 3,300 reptiles have been installed in 

 permanent places in the storage room. An effort has been made to 

 do away with the obsolete and impractical cork-stoppered bottles, 

 which are so unsuited to a reptile collection, and to substitute instead 

 the standard glass-stoppered jars. For the completion of the task, 

 a very large number of new jars will be required, and as it is seem- 

 ingly impossible to obtain a sufficiently large number at one time the 

 work of clearing out the obsolete bottles will necessarily be slow. 

 The laborer has finished the annual washing and refilling of all the 

 jars in the storage room. The condition of the collection is at present 

 very good. 



The collections of the division of fishes have been carefully ex- 

 amined, the containers refilled where necessary, jars and shelves 

 cleaned, some of the unidentified specimens have been determined, 

 catalogued, carded, and installed in their regular places in the 

 storage. The condition of the material is very good. 



The principal improvement in the division of insects during the 

 past year has been in transferring portions of the collection to the 

 tray system from the open style of drawer. Except in Microlepi- 

 doptera and Odonata, it is planned to have all the pinned insects 

 in trays as soon as sufficient time can be found for the transfer. 

 Substantial progress has been made in the past year, especially in 

 the Diptera. The usual amount of work on rearranging the older 

 portions of the collection and preparing articles for publications on 

 groups or species of unusual interest has been carried on during the 

 year. In this the division, as usual, has had the active assistance of 

 a large staff of entomologists from the Bureau of Entomology, as 

 well as that of some others. The collection is undoubtedly as a whole 

 in better condition than ever before. Continuous progress is made 

 in adding new insects, describing new species, etc. The installation 

 is as safe as possible from damage by museum pests. 



In the division of marine invertebrates the overhauling, filling, 

 and putting in good order of the various lots of material in the 

 alcoholic storage is a time-taking process and one which requires 



