12 
accepted a similar position in the American Museum of Natural 
History. The Museum is most fortunate in having secured the 
co-operation of Mr. William Brewster, who has kindly con- 
sented to charge himself with the department formerly under 
Mr. Allen’s care. Since his appointment, Mr. Brewster has 
made an examination of the mammal skins, and, in accordance 
with the plan already carried out in other departments, of 
rejecting everything not of the first quality, he has materially 
reduced its bulk. The collection is now of great value, and can 
readily be cared for. Before leaving, Mr. Allen finished label- 
ling the specimens in the Indian, African, and European Rooms, 
and he further revised the rapacious birds, the pigeons, and the 
grouse. 
We have also lost the services of Mr. Paulus Roetter, who 
for the past eighteen years has been the indefatigable artist of 
the Museum, and to whose skilful pencil the Museum publi- 
cations owe the greater part of their illustrations during that 
time. 
Mr. Lyman, who during the past two years could give but a 
most general supervision to his department, has now resumed 
his place at Cambridge. 
The Museum is indebted to Messrs. Cabot and Slade for 
their interest in behalf of their respective departments. Dr. 
Slade has made a complete catalogue of the Osteological 
collections. 
Professor Hamlin has unpacked and made a preliminary 
arrangement of our acquisitions of Fossil Invertebrates; they 
are now safely stored in the four rooms of the first floor de- 
voted to that purpose. He has also transferred to the upper 
story the Fossil Vertebrates, which occupy two large rooms 
of that floor. While an immense amount of work still re- 
mains to be done on the collection of Fossils, they are all 
accessible, and it will be a comparatively easy task to select 
from our stores the necessary series for the Paleontological 
Exhibition Rooms, and to place the collection in order for 
special students. 
Mr. Garman has brought the collections of Fishes and Reptiles 
into perfect order, and is gradually sending out our duplicates 
for distribution to other institutions. Professors Hamlin and 
Faxon have also condensed the alcoholic collections of Mollusks 
