REPORT OF TITR DTRKCTOR T9TO 43 



A number of casts of native reptiles and amphibians was also 

 purchased, as these casts show the natural color and appearance 

 of the animals better than either stuffed or alcoholic specimens. 

 A consistent effort has been made to get together the materials for 

 more bird and mammal groups, even though all attempts to set 

 them up must be deferred until more room is available. With 

 this end in view the Zoologist made a trip to Silver Bay to examine 

 the collections of Mr Silas H. Paine who had an extensive private 

 collection that was being broken up and sold. Many of the best 

 specimens had been bought by others before this museum was 

 notified that they were for sale, but several good bird groups and 

 much material useful in setting up other groups remained and 

 negotiations for its purchase were in progress at the end of the 

 fiscal year. 



Birds of New York. The first volume of this work covering 

 the water and game birds has been issued, under authorship of 

 Prof. E. Howard Eaton, with forty-two plates in color by Louis 

 Agassiz Fuertes. The public demand for this publication has been 

 very large and it has, on this account and in view of the lim- 

 ited edition, been necessary to restrict the distribution very largely 

 to sales. A larger edition is required in order to meet the reason- 

 able requirements of the citizens and it is believed this will be 

 provided. The second volume of the work, which will embrace the 

 land birds, is practically completed and its publication within a 

 year is confidently hoped for. 



VI 



REPORT ON THE ARCHEOLOGY SECTION 



The work of this section of the museum embraces a number of 

 coordinate sciences which cover nearly all divisions of anthro- 

 pology. Among the special branches to which attention is devoted 

 may be mentioned ethnology, folklore, archeology and human oste- 

 ology. Most of these subjects require research in the field. Other 

 special work is the securing of Indian models for casts, the super- 

 vision of the work of the sculptors and artists and directing the 

 collection and production of the various accessories necessary for 

 the series of ethnological groups. This is referred to in greater 

 detail hereinafter. 



It will be noted that the term archeology as applied to this section 

 of the museum's activity is descriptive of only one of the important 

 branches of its researches and that the term anthropology 

 conveys a more accurate impression of the scope of work pursued. 



