REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 45 



and successfully preserved. All the bones of the skeleton were 

 "roughed out," and on the third day skin and skeleton were boxed 

 securely and shipped to Washington. The skin weighed 1,080 pounds, 

 and when removed was in some places 1^- inches in thickness. Upon 

 its arrival at the taxidermic laboratory it was preserved in a soft state, 

 to be mounted as soon as practicable. 



Among the other important acquisitions of fresh specimens received 

 during the year were a very fine Burehell's zebra, a royal Bengal tiger, 

 a horse antelope, water-buck, white-faced antelope, an eland, a llama, 

 and a black macaque. 



Of the specimens mounted by the chief taxidermist, Mr. William T. 

 Hornaday, the Bengal tiger and the BurchelPs zebra seem worthy of 

 especial mention. 



These two specimens may fairly be regarded as showing the possibili- 

 ties of taxidermy in the treatment of difficult subjects. It is especially 

 worthy of note that they are both so substantially mounted in every 

 part as to render them essentially imperishable if kept under glass. 



Among other specimens mounted during the year were a number of 

 very fine and rare ungulates of large size, including a water-buck, Afri- 

 can wild sheep, white-faced antelope, llama, and others 5 a very large 

 and handsome leopard; a cheetah; an elephant-seal 11 feet in length, 

 and a series of very fine kangaroos. 



Work in the laboratory was interrupted during seven weeks of May 

 and June by the exploration for buffalo in Montaua, undertaken by Mr. 

 Hornaday and his assistant, A. H. Forney, accompanied by Mr. George 

 H. Hedley, of Medina, N. Y. On account of the fear that it might be 

 impossible to find buffalo at all, or at least without a search of three or 

 four months, a start was made in the spring with the hope of finding 

 animals before they would commence to shed their hair. 



By hard work and good fortune a few buffalo were found in Montana, 

 but by the time the first specimens were killed they had shed their 

 hair to such an extent as to render their skins not fit to mount as typi- 

 cal specimens of the species. Accordingly the party returned imme- 

 diately with the collection already made, to go out again in October to 

 finish the work. A report of this exploration will be published after 

 the work is completed, including a list of the collections made by the 

 party during the month spent in the field. 



A very important item of the work done by the chief taxidermist has 

 been the installation of the exhibit of the Society of American Taxider- 

 mists, which is now very attractively displayed along the north side of 

 the northeast court. It is greatly admired, and by many visitors is 

 carefully studied. 



