REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1918. 39 



stant interruptions to which as head curator of biology ne is exposed. 

 As usual the division was visited by investigators from other institu- 

 tions for the purpose of study, thus by Dr. Thomas Barbour and Mr. 

 G. K. Noble, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, in connection 

 with their researches on West Indian and Peruvian reptiles; by Mr. 

 E. R. Dunn, of Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, who 

 studied the salamanders, especially those from Mexico and Central 

 America. Mr. F. N. Blanchard, of the University of Michigan, de- 

 voted more than a month to an examination of the milk snakes, of 

 which he is preparing a monograph. Dr. O. P. Hay of the Carnegie 

 Institution, Mr. C. W. Gilmore of the National Museum, and Maj. 

 R. W. Shufeldt of the Army Medical Museum, have compared ma- 

 terial from time to time with specimens in the collection. Assistance 

 was also rendered specialists elsewhere by the loan of material to 

 Miss M. C. Dickerson, of the American Museum of Natural History ; 

 to Mr. E. R. Dunn, of Smith College; and to Dr. A. G. Ruthven, 

 director of the Museum of the University of Michigan. A set of 

 poisonous reptiles was lent, as usual, to Maj. E. R. Whitmore, of the 

 Army Medical School, for purposes of demonstration during his 

 lectures. 



Fishes. — The only accession of particular merit during the present 

 3 T ear consisted of 261 specimens, representing 80 species, from west- 

 ern Colombia, which were obtained in exchange from the Carnegie 

 Museum, Pittsburgh. This collection is of special importance as 

 supplementing the material which came to the Museum in recent 

 years in connection with the Smithsonian biological survey of the 

 Isthmus of Panama. A collection of 33 specimens made by Mr. A. 

 de C. Sowerby in northern China may be noted, as well as the type 

 specimen of Eristeis halisherae presented by the Lei and Stanford 

 Junior University. 



The entire collection of fishes was carefully examined, alcohol 

 added and changed when necessary, and many labels restored. For 

 convenience in finding specimens about one-half of the lower floor of 

 the storage was gone over and the family numbers added to each 

 Kibel. A large number of specimens were separated and distributed 

 in the storage. The catalogue entries of the year numbered 4,354, 

 embracing over 26,000 specimens, and the labeling and carding of 

 this material was completed with the exception of the specimens 

 collected by the Tornas BaiTera expedition, which were entered and 

 labeled, as far as determined, but not carded. 



The study of the Cuban material with the view to publishing an 

 annotated list of the fishes collected by the Tomas Barrera expedition 

 was nearly completed. Mr. B. A. Bean, the assistant curator of 

 fishes, also finished and forwarded to Ottawa the report under- 

 taken for the Canadian Government upon the collection of fishes 



