REPORT OF NATIONAL. MUSEUM, 1924 53 



barium. Paul C. Standley, associate curator of plants, was absent 

 from November 13, 1923, to April 29, 1924, engaged in field work in 

 the Panama Canal Zone and Costa Rica, the expenses of the ex- 

 ploration being borne in part by the Department of Agriculture and 

 by Oakes Ames, who is especially interested in the orchids! of 

 Central America. About 7,000 numbers were obtained during the 

 two months spent in the Canal Zone, and 8,000 numbers, including 

 a larger percentage of orchids, during the ten weeks spent in Costa 

 Rica. The former material was particularly desired for use in pre- 

 paring manuscript for a popular flora of the Canal Zone, and the 

 latter for similar use in preparing a treatise of the flora of all Cen- 

 tral America. Altogether, about 17,000 specimens were obtained, 

 this number including certain duplicate material intended for a ref- 

 erence herbarium to be established in the Canal Zone. Dr. William 

 R. Maxon, associate curator of plants, who was detailed by the 

 Museum to accompany an expedition from the Department of 

 Agriculture to Panama and Central America in May, 1923, returned 

 to Washington early in August, 1923. As a result of the field work 

 in Panama, western Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, about 4,500 speci- 

 mens were obtained, apportioned about equally among the three 

 regions. The Nicaraguan material will be especially useful in the 

 preparation- of the proposed flora of Central America, above men- 

 tioned. 



WORK OF PRESERVING AND INSTALLING THE COLLECTIONS — PRESENT CONDITION OF 



THE COLLECTIONS 



The principal work of the taxidermists during the year has been 

 the dismantling of one of the largest of the North. American mam- 

 mal groups, namely, that of the Rocky Mountain goats, and the work 

 connected with the mounting, etc., of the animals of the new group 

 which is to take its place. For a number of seasons back, Doctor and 

 Mrs. Walcott during their explorations in the Canadian Rockies 

 have been gathering material consisting of specimens, photographs, 

 notes, etc., with a view to replacing the old group by a new one 

 which should do justice to the interesting animal with the appear- 

 ance and habits of which they had become 1 familiar, while cam- 

 paigning among some of the grandest scenery of the continent. 

 During the year W. L. Brown and his assistants have modeled and 

 mounted the individual animals composing the group. The remain- 

 ing work s the building up and finishing of the accesories, including 

 rocks and vegetation, was -still in. progress at the end of the fiscal 

 year. 



A number of smaller mammals have been mounted and placed on 

 exhibition. A large number of birds have also been mounted for 



