REPORT OF DEPARTMENT <>F BIRDS. 



151 



Mori/in the office of tin curator. —The former quarters of the oarator 

 in the top of (lie Booth tower proving, under the large increase oi busi- 

 De88 in the department, do longer suitable for the purpose, the sooth- 

 west gallerj of the main hall was, at tin- curator's suggestion, cleared 

 and fitted up for temporary oooupaney. The labor of moving the fur- 

 Qitnre, &c, of the curator's office to the ne* quarters \\ as \ ery consid- 

 erable, involving, among other things, the transfer of 27 quarter-unit 

 cases ami li walnut cabinets, with bheir contents (embracing some 

 30,000 specimens). 



Selection of spvcuin ns for mounting. — About 2,500 skins were selected 

 for mounting, to add to the exhibition series of the Museum, or this 



number somewhat over 1 ,L'U0, chiefly small birds, were mounted; but 

 the remainder are pot aside to be mounted as opportunity permits. 



Preparation of copy for labels for tin exhibition collection. — Copy for 

 considerably over L,000 species-labels for the mounted birds was pre- 

 pared during the year, said labels to give the English name (in large, 



hca\\ type) of each species, the various local or popular names, the 

 scientific name, the range, a reference to where a lull account of the 

 habits, etc., can be found, and other information specially desired by 

 the general public. All the North American and a considerable number 

 of the foreign species have been thus covered. A sample copy of this 

 label is herewith submitted : 



RING-BILLED GULL. 



Larua delawarensis, ORD. 

 Water B. N. Am. , I. p. 244. 



Whole of North America, breeding northward; 

 south, in winter, to Mexico and Cuba. 



669. 



Transfer of mounted specimens to new walnut stands. — Several hundred 

 of the mounted specimens were during the year, transferred to new 

 black-walnut stands, and the beauty of the collection thus materially 

 increased. 



New Orleans exhibit. — By far the larger part of the work done from 

 Julj to November, inclusive, consisted in the preparation of an exhibit 

 of birds for tin- World's International Cotton Exposition at New Orleans. 

 It was at first intended to send a selected series of birds from all parts 

 of the world, in order to show the more characteristic types of each ol 

 the primary zoogeographical divisions of the earth. This plan was, 

 however, found not feasible, owing partly to the large expense involved 

 in the purchase of specimens not already in the collection, but chieflj 

 to the lack of sufficient space in the exhibition building. Lt was liually 



