50 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



IX 



REPORT OF TPIE ZOOLOGY DIVISION 



The installation of new exhibits and the arrangement of the col- 

 lections in zoology hall have continued during the fiscal year with- 

 out interruption, and this work, together with the repairs and 

 remounting required by many of the specimens retained from the 

 old collection formerly on exhibition in Geological Hall has occu- 

 pied all the time of the zoologist and taxidermist not required by 

 the routine work of the Department. During the early part of the 

 year the collection of mounted fishes, which had previously been 

 cleaned and repaired by the taxidermist, was put in place in the 

 cases prepared for it in the entrance corridors leading to zoology 

 hall. Work on the moose and buffalo groups, which were men- 

 tioned in the last report as still unfinished, has been completed, 

 and several trees added to the accessories of the black bear group, 

 providing a background which shows ofi: the animals to better 

 advantage. 



Important progress was also made in new groups. The Museum 

 was fortunate in obtaining three young fishers which, with adult 

 specimens already in the Museum, will permit a fine group. of these 

 uncommon animals to be arranged. The specimens (male, female 

 and one young) for a group of Canada lynxes, ordered some time 

 ago from Ward's Natural Science Establishment, have been 

 delivered, and the work of arranging this group can now be begun 

 as soon as a case is provided for it. A group of five whistling 

 swans from the Niagara river, presented to the Museum, has also 

 arrived and been installed in its case, although it was found neces- 

 sary to make many changes in its arrangement and accessories ; 

 and a group of three Virginia deer, one buck and two does, was 

 purchased and was in process of installation at the close of the 

 fiscal year. 



The right whale skeleton, reported purchased last year, has been 

 delivered and put together and hung by wire cables from the ceiling 

 of zoology hall. This skeleton has the baleen or whalebone in 

 place in the mouth. Several life-size models of the smaller 

 cetaceans native of New York State waters, which were acquired 

 by the Museum some time ago but not placed on exhibition, have 

 been mounted over the cases at the north end of the room. 

 Another unusual and attractive feature added to the exhibit dur- 



