REPORT OE ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 79 



large series of perfect specimens of the most remarkable butterflies of 

 the world was assembled and arranged for exhibition in unit boxes. 

 A similar series of birds' eggs, representing the largest and the most 

 remarkably colored or shaped eggs were selected from the Museum 

 collection and arranged on newly designed stands. A series of 

 zoological objects attractive to children was prepared for the replica 

 of the Smithsonian "Children's room" which was installed at St. 

 Louis. The whole Museum exhibit was thoroughly labeled, with 

 special reference to the requirements of an exposition. 



EXPLORATIONS. 



As mentioned in the report of last year, Mr. B. A. Bean and Mr. 

 J.'H. Riley accompanied the expedition of the Baltimore Geographical 

 Societ}^ to the Bahama Islands in the summer of 1903, and made con- 

 siderable collections of fishes, birds, reptiles, mammals, and mollusks 

 and other invertebrates. The collection of lishes added to the knowl- 

 edge of the fauna of the Bahamas and many of the species represented 

 in it were new to the Museum series, as was also the case with the 

 corals and crustaceans. 



In the spring of 1904 Mr. William Palmer accompanied Dr. George 

 P. Merrill to the State of Sinaloa, Mexico, for the purpose of making 

 a mold of the great Bacubarito meteorite. While on. this expedition, 

 Mr. Palmer collected a few zoological specimens of interest. 



Toward the close of the year, Dr. L. Stejneger and Mr. G. S. Miller, 

 jr., were detailed to make faunal collections in the Swiss and Italian 

 Alps, the object being to add to the knowledge of the life zones in that 

 region. Mr. B. A. Bean and an assistant visited Beaufort, North Car- 

 olina, in June and collected fishes. 



ACCESSIONS. 



The number of lots of specimens in all classes received during the 

 year covered by this report was greater than last year, and in the case 

 of mollusks, as already noted, almost double. Birds' e<rgs were less 

 numerous and less important, and the lower invertebrates, though more 

 numerous than last }^ear, were of much less interest scientifically. So 

 far as plants are concerned, the accessions (numbering 555), though 

 somewhat less numerous than last year, exceeded those of any other 

 year since 1895. Of zoological specimens, the total number received 

 was about 107,473, including about 59,000 insects. Of plants, the 

 accessions aggregated 43,800 specimens, as compared with 35,000 in 

 1903 and 53,500 in 1902. The purchases of plants comprised 10,000 

 specimens. 



The largest transaction of the year, as regards specimens, was, as 

 already mentioned, the deposit by Prof. E. L. Greene of his very 



