﻿46 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  work 
  upon 
  the 
  new 
  museum 
  building 
  has 
  already 
  

   started, 
  it 
  seemed 
  best 
  to 
  devote 
  as 
  much 
  time 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  the 
  

   collections 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  a 
  proper 
  showing 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  when 
  the 
  

   new 
  quarters 
  are 
  ready. 
  With 
  this 
  end 
  in 
  view 
  the 
  specimens 
  on 
  

   hand 
  have 
  been 
  carefully 
  examined 
  and 
  a 
  list 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  material 
  

   of 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  special 
  need. 
  It 
  is 
  intended 
  to 
  illustrate 
  by 
  

   groups 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  possible 
  all 
  the 
  mammals 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  

   total 
  number 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  only 
  8i, 
  including 
  lo 
  of 
  the 
  Cetacea 
  

   (whales) 
  which 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  suitable 
  for 
  such 
  treatment, 
  there 
  

   appears 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  at 
  least 
  the 
  majority 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  so 
  shown. 
  

   At 
  present 
  i8 
  species, 
  not 
  including 
  the 
  whales, 
  are 
  not 
  represented 
  

   in 
  the 
  collections 
  and 
  many 
  others 
  only 
  by 
  old 
  and 
  worn 
  specimens. 
  

   Donations 
  along 
  these 
  lines 
  would 
  be 
  most 
  welcome. 
  

  

  The 
  collection 
  of 
  birds 
  is 
  in 
  much 
  better 
  condition 
  and 
  the 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  species 
  entirely 
  lacking 
  has 
  been 
  reduced 
  to 
  i8, 
  

   six 
  of 
  which 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  hypothetical 
  list. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  been 
  particularly 
  fortunate 
  this 
  year 
  in 
  receiving 
  from 
  

   Dr 
  R. 
  W. 
  Shufeldt, 
  as 
  a 
  gift, 
  his 
  very 
  fine 
  collection 
  of 
  disarticulate 
  

   avian 
  skeletons. 
  This 
  collection 
  is 
  probably 
  equal 
  to 
  any 
  in 
  this 
  

   country. 
  Two 
  hundred 
  species 
  mostly 
  North 
  American 
  are 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  in 
  it, 
  the 
  majority 
  by 
  complete 
  skeletons. 
  The 
  collection, 
  

   of 
  which 
  the 
  complete 
  list 
  is 
  given 
  under 
  accessions, 
  consists 
  of 
  237 
  

   complete 
  skeletons, 
  48 
  skulls, 
  63 
  sterna 
  and 
  17 
  hyoids. 
  It 
  should 
  

   also 
  be 
  mentioned 
  in 
  this 
  connection 
  that 
  the 
  collection 
  includes 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  types 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  in 
  Dr 
  Shufeldt's 
  papers, 
  

   among 
  which 
  are 
  found 
  complete 
  male 
  and 
  female 
  skeletons 
  of 
  the 
  

   Carolina 
  paroquet 
  (Conuropsis 
  carolinensis) 
  now 
  nearly 
  

   extinct. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  reptiles 
  and 
  amphibians 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  

   Ward 
  casts 
  have 
  been 
  added, 
  and 
  the 
  old 
  faded 
  alcoholic 
  specimens 
  

   are 
  being 
  replaced 
  by 
  new 
  ones 
  as 
  opportunity 
  arises. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  method 
  of 
  exhibiting 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  a 
  problem 
  still 
  unde- 
  

   cided. 
  The 
  taxidermist 
  has, 
  however, 
  a 
  method 
  of 
  mounting 
  these 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  will 
  prove 
  a 
  step 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  anything 
  yet 
  

   accomplished. 
  He 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  working 
  on 
  a 
  group 
  showing 
  yellow 
  

   perch 
  (Perca 
  flavescens), 
  and 
  sunfish 
  (E 
  u 
  p^o 
  m 
  o 
  t 
  i 
  s 
  

   g 
  i 
  b 
  b 
  o 
  s 
  u 
  s) 
  in 
  their 
  natural 
  surroundings. 
  

  

  The 
  muskrat 
  group 
  upon 
  which 
  work 
  was 
  begun 
  last 
  year 
  has 
  

   been 
  placed 
  on 
  exhibition. 
  This 
  shows 
  two 
  muskrats 
  near 
  a 
  musk- 
  

   rat 
  house, 
  while 
  the 
  rear 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  is 
  a 
  cross 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  

   chamber 
  and 
  passageways. 
  

  

  