DEPARTMENT OF BIRDS 149 



Zoological Society of Philadelphia, through Mr. Arthur E. Browu : A Ladj A_mher9fc 

 Pheasant, an Austrahan Parrot {Psephotus xanthorrhous), and a Demoiselle Crane, all 

 in tlie flesh. Also a specimen Javau Adjutant {LeptoptUos javauicm) in the flesh. All 

 form valuable and interesting additions to the exhibition series. (Gift.) 



Owiug to the iuadequate number of cases and the unsuitable con- 

 struction of those available, it has not been possible to make rapid 

 progress with the systematic re-arrangement of the exhibition series; a 

 satisfactory beginning has, however, been- made, and the large amount 

 of necessary work that has been done in the way of remodeling cases 

 insures more rapid advancement of the work during the present year. 



The study series has been steadily improved in arrangement, as 

 opportunity afforded, and as the necessary cases and drawers became 

 available. 



The complicated preparatiohs necessary for the orderly arrangement 

 and systematic classification of such extensive and bulky collections as 

 those belonging to the bird department having nearly been completed, 

 it is safe to say that the work will henceforth progress rapidly, provided 

 the required additional cases are forthcoming as they may be needed. 



The extent of general routine work may be briefly stated as follows: 



Pages (MS.) of articles submitted for publication based on Museum material. *34.'i:^ 



Proof corrected — printed pages 259^ 



Proof corrected — printed galleys 91i 



Official letters written 326 



Official memoranda written 233 



Invoices (triplicates) written 206 



Monthly reports written (pages MS. ) . 114 



Annual report written (pages MS.) 74 



Memoranda of packing, written (pages MS. ) 135 



In addition to the above, many hundred labels were written and proof 

 corrected. 



Owing to the vast amount of labor required by matters mentioned 

 under the first and third sections of this report, very little time has 

 been available for special research, the principal part of what was ac- 

 complished by the curator being necessarily done out of oflice hours. 

 It is much to be regretted that no more time can be given to work 

 of this kind, of the greatest importance to ornithological science as well 

 as to the collection, whose value is increased as its component parts or 

 sections become the basis of original monographic work ; and no collec- 

 tion of American birds contains a greater quantity of material for such 

 original research, urgently required for the advancement of the science, 

 than that of the bird department of the National Museum. So much 

 has the function of the curator of this department become that of a 

 purely administrative head, that his occuijation consists almost entirely 

 in the performance of numberless complex routine duties connected 

 with the receipting for, unpacking, cataloguing, labeling, installment, 



* Of these 198^ pages were prepared by the curator and 147 by the assistant curator. 



