70 NEW YORK STATE Ml^SEUM 



V 



REPORT ON THE ZOOLOGY SECTION 



The Zoologist assumed his duties on May 2t. He found the 

 -collections in a somewhat unsettled state, owing in part to the sudden 

 termination, caused by death, of rearrangements undertaken by his 

 predecessor, and in part to the crowded conditions in Geological Hall 

 resulting from recent encroachments by other State departments. 

 A careful study has been made of these collections, with a view par- 

 ticularly to their possibilities of development in the new building. 



. The mounted birds have received much attention in the past and 

 ■are probably in as good shape as any part of the exhibit- A portion 

 of the series which had been disarranged will soon be restored to 

 order. This collection is now thoroughly card-catalogued, but it 

 ?s unfortunate that the specimens belonging to the old State col- 

 lection are mostly deficient in requisite data. The style of standard 

 and label in use being unsuited to present needs, an effort is being 

 made to devise a superior mount. 



In response to public demand the foreign birds (mostly of the 

 Ue Rham collection) have been taken from storage and returned 

 to the cases. They will later be given a more satisfactory in- 

 stallation. 



The study series of bird skins, inaugurated last year, is rapidly 

 outgrowing the quarters assigned to it. 



The representation of the New York avifauna has been increased 

 during the year by 20 species and about 30 sexes or phases of 

 pkmiage new to the collection, besides several New York specimens 

 of species hitherto represented only by extralimital examples. After 

 correcting some misidentifications in the old material, this leaves 

 34 species (8^ per cent) of the birds reported from our State 

 unrepresented in the Museum, together with 9 species of the hypo- 

 thetic list. [Since October ist about half of these missing species 

 have been obtained and will be reported upon next year.] The 

 added material has been chiefly in the form of skins, to conform 

 to present space limitations. 



Four new cases of birds mounted by the Taxidermist have been 

 installed in the exhibition hall. These contain family groups of 

 h'ttle green heron (Ardea virescens), Clapper rail (R a 1 - 



