16 Forty-third Annual Report on tee 



has been added and placed with tlie opossum and duck-bill in the 

 middle section of the east side wall case. It attracts attention as 

 one of the largest of marsupial mammals and it is an important 

 step in the line of a synoptic collection. The seals have been put 

 in the case of carnivorous mammals in the south section of the 

 east side wall case. The walrus, giraffe and hippopotamus occupy 

 the northern half of this wall case. 



The collection of skeletons has been rearranged in a floor case 

 on the western side of the room and relabeled. There have been 

 added to it during the year the following : flying squirrel, crow, 

 flicker, loon, wild turkey and great blue heron. 



The collection of stuffed birds has been studied carefully, 

 relabeled and arranged according to the order of Ridgway's 

 " Manual of North American Birds." Printed labels giving the com- 

 mon and the Latin names and the habitat have been placed on all of 

 the specimens. The sex and season represented by the plumage 

 have been added whenever known. In many cases the name of donor 

 and place of capture were not stated on the old labels, and these 

 important facts can not be given. During the year there have 

 been added, by purchase, 106 specimens, representing fifty-four 

 species, new to the collection. The collection has been enriched 

 by the gift of Erastus Corning, Jr., consisting of seventy-eight 

 specimens of beautifully mounted and valuable birds, the list of 

 which appears in its proper place in the appendix. 



The collection of birds eggs has been rearranged and enlarged 

 by the addition of seventy-eight eggs, new to it, purchased from 

 Ward, of Rochester, and another lot, representing sixty species, 

 from W. S. Simpson, to complete suites already in it. There are 

 many deficiencies and many of them are difficult to fill, owing to 

 the comparative scarcity of specimens and the doubtful identifi- 

 cation of species. 



The stuffed reptiles and amphibians have been brought together 

 in a wall case on the northeast corner. The new shelving admits 

 of a better exhibition and with new labels the whole case is much 

 improved. 



The collection of echinoderms, which was formerly in the window 

 case, near the east end of the room, has been expanded so as to 

 occupy that case and the corresponding one at the west front 

 window. A few glass models have been incorporated in their 



