78 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1904. 



The department is handicapped at present chiefly by the crowded 

 condition of the laboratories and storage quarters and exhibition halls, 

 and the want of a sufficient staff of zoological assistants in the lower 

 grades. 



EXHIBITION COLLECTIONS. 



The arrangement recently made of combining all work on the exhi- 

 bition series under one head continued in force during the year with 

 excellent results. On account of the great amount of work required 

 in connection with the exhibit for the St. Louis Exposition, however, 

 the regular exhibition work was brought almost to a standstill. The 

 World's Fair work continued until May, and, on account of belated 

 material, one or two pieces were still in hand during the closing 

 months of the year. 



The remounting of especially valuable birds in the exhibition series 

 continued during the year, 13 specimens having been successfully 

 treated. Shortly before its close, two new cases were provided for 4 

 of the new groups of game birds, located in the entrance hall of the 

 Smithsonian building. In addition, 30 other birds were mounted, 12 

 dismounted, and 59 skins made up for study purposes. Fourteen 

 pieces of groundwork were made for birds exhibited at St. Louis. In 

 the case of birds mounted during the year, an effort was made to color 

 the bills, feet, and naked portions of the skins as in life. New work 

 was begun on a series of fish casts to fill cases now unoccupied. 



A brief summary of the work done for the St. Louis exhibit during 

 the past two 3^ears is as follows: 



A series of large mammals representing the principal large game 

 animals of the world were mounted, including such huge forms as the 

 giraffe, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, polar bear, and moose. Molds 

 were made in Newfoundland of an adult sulphurbottom whale, 78 feet 

 long, from which a cast in paper was prepared and properly painted. 

 The skeleton of a full-grown whale of this species was also obtained at 

 the same place and mounted in St. Louis. Specimens representing the 

 species of peacocks were mounted, together with a collection of the 

 most beautiful species of pheasants. To these were added a few other 

 birds of remarkable appearance or habits, and a group of the South 

 American hoactzins, which are of special interest from the fact that 

 the young have hooked claws oh the wings, b} 7 means of which they 

 climb about from branch to branch. Casts of a large python and of 

 several other interesting snakes, such as the cobra, coral snake, rattle- 

 snake, etc., were prepared and painted. A series of enlarged models 

 of the most grotesque or otherwise remarkable deep-sea fishes was 

 prepared from specimens in the National Museum. The synoptic 

 series of invertebrates belonging to the regular exhibition series of 

 the Museum was renovated, enlarged, and thoroughly labeled. A 



