68 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



IX 



REPORT OF THE ZOOLOGIST 



Reference has been made to changes and new installations in the 

 Hall of Zoology. In the absence of the zoologist, Sherman C. 

 Bishop, and the taxidermist, Arthur Paladin, who have enlisted for 

 the war, the development of the zoological collections has been 

 curtailed and at present it is possible to do little else than keep the 

 collections in good condition. There have been some installations, 

 notably the otter and woodchuck habitat groups, the nesting flicker 

 group and an exhibit of the pileated woodpecker showing the very 

 extraordinary work of these birds. The Arnold collection of birds' 

 eggs and its installation have already been referred to. The work 

 upon this extensive collection has required already the preparation 

 of some 1500 special plaster mounts and will doubtless require more. 

 An interesting record made for the year was the shooting, by the 

 zoologist, of a prairie wolf or coyote in the woods of Soutn Bristol, 

 Ontario county, N. Y. The attention of the Department was drawn 

 to the depredations of this wolf upon the farmers' flocks in that 

 part of the State and a hunting expedition succeeded in bringing 

 it in. It was thought that it was one of a family but no other trace 

 of such activities has since been noticed in that region. Where the 

 wolf came from is still unexplained. 



Researches. The zoologist has been specially interested in 

 acquiring material for a study of the very large number of spiders 

 of the State, many of which have already been beautifully illustrated 

 by Mr Barkentin. This work, however, will, under the circum- 

 stances, proceed slowly although it opens a field of very large and 

 general interest. 



Roy W. Miner, associate curator in the American Museum of 

 Natural History, has been engaged in the completion of a report on 

 the myriapods of New York. This is a line of interest in which 

 Mr Miner is especially competent and his study will conclude some 

 investigations that were started a few years ago. 



The monograph of the Land and Fresh Water Shells of New York, 

 which has been in charge of Dr H. A. Pilsbry for a number of years, 

 is very near its completion and the distinguished author hopes to 

 conclude his work in the course of the present year. A considerable 

 number of very beautiful drawings have been made and the analytical 

 and descriptive parts of the book are largely finished. 



