136 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



Dr. Harrison Allen, of Philadelphia, still continues in possession of 

 a portion of the Smithsonian collection of Chiroptera, for use in his 

 studies upon the organs of locomotion in this group. Certain other 

 specimens of bats were temporarily loaned to Mr. F. W. Cragin, of 

 Manhattan, Kansas, who is engaged in work upon the species native to 

 that State. 



With the completion of the work upon the cetacea and insectivores 

 of North America now in progress, the time will be ripe for the publi- 

 cation of an encyclopaedic systematic work upon the entire mammalian 

 fauna of North America, similar to that published by Professor Baird 

 iu 1859. After such a work shall have been published attention will 

 doubtless be turned toward the anatomy, physiology, and embryology 

 of the different species, concerning which very little has thus far been 

 written. 



Papers published in 1884 by the curator and by others connected 

 with the department, or upon the basis of material belonging to the de- 

 partment, amount to twelve, and are referred to in the bibliography 

 under True, Elliott, and Nelson. 



PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLLECTION. 



The collection of mammals can at present be divided into but two 

 series, namely, (1) the exhibition series, and (2) the stored or duplicate 

 series. 



The exhibition series. — The number of mounted skins on exhibition 

 at the close of 1883 and 1884, respectively, was as follows : On exhibi- 

 tion at the close of 1883, 715 ; on exhibition at the close of 1884, 646. 



It will appear somewhat surprising at first that at the end of a new 

 year's work by the taxidermists the number of specimens on exhibi- 

 tion should be le^s than previously. The reason of this becomes very 

 obvious, however, when it is remembered that not only the specimens 

 mounted during the year were sent to New Orleans, but, in addition, 

 some that had previously been on exhibition in the hall. If we add to 

 the number given above, the specimens sent to New Orleans and those 

 now in the taxidermists' shops in a nearly completed state the total 

 reaches 864, which represents a somewhat less number than will be on 

 exhibition in July, 1885, but many more than were displayed at the 

 close of 1883. 



Duplicate series. — To gain an idea of the present size of this series 

 it is only necessary to add to the figures given in last year's report the 

 number of accessions for 1884, since no distributions have been made. 

 The totals are as follows : 



Skins and alcoholic specimens, 1884 4, 870 



Skeletons and skulls, 1884 4, 087 



Total 8, 957 



