38 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



In October a book-case was made for the property clerk's office, and work was con- 

 tinued in reconstructing the wall cases in the south hall of the Museum. Three ped- 

 estals were made for petrified logs, aud others for use in the departments of Mammals 

 and Comparative Anatomy. All the mahogany upright floor cases were completed. 

 Screens were made to go over pier cases. The roof of the Museum building was 

 painted. Slope cases for the building-stone department were made, and work was 

 begun on a mahogany book-case for the chief clerk's office. 



In November a plank walk was laid along the west front of the Museum building. 

 The walls in the northwest court and the ladies' reception-room were painted. A 

 mahogany slope case was completed, and work began on mahogany upright floor 

 cases. Work was begun on a small brick addition to the building at the east front. 



Iu December partitions were erected in the Annex building for the purpose of mak- 

 ing a larger number of rooms. 



The collections of Paleozoic Fossils and the office of the curator of that department 

 were removed to the first floor of the southwest pavilion, the curator of mammals 

 removing his office to that vacated by Mr. Walcott. A large book-case in the office 

 of the superintendent was remodeled. Cases for the department of Paleozoic Fossils 

 were reconstructed and storage boxes made for the department of Fishes. The work 

 on the walls of the ladies' room was completed and similar work begun on the gen- 

 tlemen's lavatory. The taxidermist's outfits were moved from the Annex to the- 

 Armory building. Packing boxes were made for the Materia Medica department, and 

 a book-case was repaired for the department of Mineralogy. The last of the lot of 

 mahogany upright floor cases were completed, and work was begun on a mahogany 

 slope case for Gobelin tapestries and carpets. Shelves were arranged in the cases in 

 the anthropological hall. 



During the last half of this fiscal year (January to June, inclusive, 1887) the follow- 

 ing items relating to the most important work accomplished are given : Partitioning 

 and fitting up room at Armory building ; shelving cases in anthropological hall ; re- 

 pairing floors in pottery court ; construction of pedestals for large models of pueblos; 

 making bases for seals ; construction of screen with sliding door at south entrance; 

 making eight screens over wall cases; repairing eight cases for department of Metal- 

 lurgy; shelving in wall cases for department of Building-Stones; construction of 

 eight screens over pier case in east hall; three pedestals for Easter Island idols; 

 fitting up cases and screens for the Grant relics. 



THE WORK OF THE MUSEUM PREPARATORS. 



The preparation of specimens for exhibition in the Museum or for 

 the study series has been continued, and the character of the work of 

 the preparators is indicated iu the following statements : 



Taxidermists. 



During the present year the work of the department of taxidermy 

 has been unusually extensive. The lack of satisfactory and fairly 

 representative specimens of the American bison in the exhibition series 

 made it imperatively necessary to send the chief taxidermist into the 

 field to collect material for a proper representation of this most con- 

 spicuous and important quadruped of North America. During the 

 months of October, November, and December, when the pelage was at 

 its finest, an extremely rich and varied collection was made of fresh 

 skins, skeletons, and skulls of animals of both sexes and all ages, from 



