REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I914 6l 



VII 



REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF ZOOLOGY 



In the zoological section of the Museum substantial progress has 

 been made, although from the nature of the work to be done, this 

 section has been more affected than some of the others by the 

 small amount of technical and expert assistance that it has been 

 possible to provide. Temporary arrangements and expedients have 

 been avoided as much as practicable, and the work that has been 

 done has been carried out with a regard for the permanence and 

 future growth of the exhibit, so that it will not have to be done 

 over again. 



Owing to the slow progress in installing the exhibition cases in 

 the zoology hall and preparing the room for occupancy, the work 

 of arranging the specimens in the cases could not begin much before 

 the end of December, but has been continued steadily since that 

 time, and by the end of the fiscal year many of the cases were 

 completely or nearly completely filled and arranged, and most of 

 the others had received a considerable part of the material which it 

 is planned to exhibit in them. Those reserved for invertebrates, 

 and a few of the large group cases, still remained empty, but the 

 work was far enough advanced to make the collection well worth 

 a visit from those with even a small interest in zoology or nature 

 study, and to require only the finishing of several of the large 

 mammal groups to remove most of the appearance of emptiness and 

 incompleteness which the room still presented. 



The large and handsome series of domestic fowls, donated by 

 the New York State Agricultural Society but never properly dis- 

 played in the old building, has been installed, and forms one of the 

 most instructive and attractive features of the Museum. It occu- 

 pies a series of alcove cases extending along nearly the entire east 

 side of the room. In a corresponding position on the west side the 

 wild birds of the State have been installed, but in this collection a 

 number of species are still wanting or represented only by inferior 

 specimens. These deficiencies are being filled as fast as the re- 

 quired specimens can be obtained. The systematic collection of the 

 eggs of the New York State birds has been displayed in a series of 

 inclined-topped cases adjacent to those containing the birds. The 

 sets of eggs are shown in black cardboard trays containing blackened 

 sand or sawdust, which sets off the colors and markings of the 

 specimens in a very attractive manner. This collection is, however, 



