40 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



During the year 2,412 specimens have been added to the collection, 

 and 1,413 entries have been made in the catalogue. 



LIVING ANIMALS. 



This department was formally organized May 12, 1888, Mr. William 

 T. Hornaday being appointed curator. For a long time past, the need 

 of living animals had been felt to serve as models for the taxidermists, 

 and, through the courtesy of the U. S. Fish Commission, arrangements 

 were made for Mr. Hornaday to accompany one of the cars belonging 

 to the Commission with a view to securing living specimens. On Oc- 

 tober 8, Mr. Hornaday left Washington, visiting points in Minnesota, 

 Dakota, Montana, Washington Territory, Oregon, Utah, and Wyo- 

 ming. This expedition resulted in the acquisition of seventeen animals. 

 Mr. J. Frank Ellis, of the U. S. Fish Commission, and his assistant, Mr. 

 E. S. Johnson, rendered valuable assistance to the Museum in connec- 

 tion with the transportation of these animals to Washington. 



A wooden structure for their reception was erected immediately 

 south of the Smithsonian Building, and on December 31, 1887, it was 

 thrown open to the public. Since then a large number of valuable con- 

 tributions have been received, among which are a fine jaguar from Mr. 

 J. W. Eiddle, of Eagle Pass, Texas, and two black bears from Mr. J. 

 J. E. Linberg, of El Paso, Texas. The most important accession is a 

 pair of buffaloes from Nebraska. These were purchased by Hon. 

 E. G. Blackford, of New York, and presented to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. The collection has been steadily increasing, and it is 

 hoped that during the next session of Congress an appropriation will 

 be made for the purchase of land with a view to forming a National 

 Zoological Park. Special thanks are due to the United States Ex- 

 press Company for having made generous reductions in the rates of 

 transportation on living animals, the agents of the company having 

 been instructed to ship living specimens to this Institution at ordinary 

 merchandise rates. 



G.— EEVIEW OF THE ADMINISTEATIVE WOEK. 



PROGRESS OF GENERAL AND INCIDENTAL WORK. 

 Library. 



Mr. John Murdoch, librarian, has submitted the following statement 

 in regard to the operations of the library during the year : 



The total number of publications added to the library during the year 

 was 6,063 (1,316 volumes of more than 100 pages, 1,436 pamphlets, 3,169 

 parts of regular serials, and 142 charts). Of these, 437 volumes, 953 

 pamphlets, and 1,655 parts of serials were retained for the use of the 

 Museum from the accessions of the Smithsonian Institution. 



