104 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



Karus, Deuel, Colorado; Dr. J. E. Nagle, St. Augustine, Florida; Mrs. 

 Fannie Malone, Texas; G. M. Eliees, Mount Pleasant, District of Co- 

 lumbia; F. Stephens, San Bernardino, California ; Mabel and Marga- 

 ret Johnson, South Carolina ; Anton Schott, Akanchee Lake, Wiscon- 

 sin ; Lieut. W. M. Wood, U. S. Navy, South America ; Thomas Flynn, 

 Arizona; and a new species of snake (Tropidonotus bisectus Cope) from 

 the Central Station of the U. S. Fish Commission in Washington. 



The routine work of the Reptile Department consists in entering in 

 the record books all specimens on their arrival ; in identifying and la- 

 beling them, when possible, and in placing them in the series to which 

 they belong. 



An order was received during the year to move temporarily the De- 

 partment of Eeptiles from the west basement of the Smithsonian build- 

 ing, so that that part of the building might be renovated. The speci- 

 mens were all carefully removed, and stored in cases temporarily erected 

 in the basement hall of the main portion of the Institution. The cura- 

 tor's office was removed to, and now occupies, the south-front room on 

 the ground floor, in the brick building west of the Smithsonian. 



The only paper published by the curator during the year is entitled 

 " Recurrence of Symptoms of Poisoning after Snake-bites." This is no- 

 ticed in Section iv of the report. He has prepared a paper for il Wood's 

 Reference Hand-book of the Medical Sciences," entitled "Poisonous Rep- 

 tiles of the United States." Prof. E. D. Cope has been specially em- 

 ployed by the Institution to prepare a report and description of the 

 Batrachia of North America. The drawings and manuscript of the 

 work are finished, and the work is nearly ready to go to press. 



PRESENT STATE OF THE COLLECTION. 



All of the reptile specimens are in excellent condition, but since they 

 are stored away, as before mentioned, they are not as easy of access for 

 study and comparison as formerly. 



There have been 130 entries made in the catalogue, comprising 503 

 specimens. 



Specimens received during the year ending June 30, 1886 1,705 



Specimens received during the year ending June 30, 1887 503 



Specimens in reserve series 9,631 



Specimens in general series 8,819 



Exhibition series, domestic (selected for) 600 



Exhibition series, foreign (selected for) 150 



Unclassified and exotic specimens, probably 6, 134 



Total 27,542 



