REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALS IN THE U. S. NATIONAL 

 MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE -30, 188G. 



By Frederick W. True, Curator. 



The accessions received by this department during the year number 

 ninety-two, and are for the most part of much interest. In reviewing 

 the more important of these I have separated them into two principal 

 classes, viz., terrestrial and aquatic mammals. 



The collection of indigenous mammals of the United States has been 

 enriched by the addition of two skins of the black-footed ferret, Puto- 

 rius nigripes, collected by Mr. A. B. Baker in Trego County, Kans. This 

 species is perhaps the rarest of North American mammals, a'nd the ad- 

 dition of new skins to our series is a matter of considerable moment. 



Several interesting collections were received from California and 

 Oregon, the most extensive being that of Mr. Walter E. Bryant. 



A good skeleton of the common black bear, previously wanting to 

 the collection, was prepared from the carcass of an individual which 

 died in confinement in the grounds of the Government Asylum for the 

 Insane, Washington. 



Messrs. Barnum, Bailey, and Hutchinson, the well-known circus pro- 

 prietors, have during the past year placed the Museum under fresh obli- 

 gations by their donations of valuable specimens of some of the larger 

 species of exotic mammals. Prominent among their gifts is the Indian 

 elephant "Albert," which was killed at Keene, K. H., in July, 1885, on 

 account of its exhibiting signs of insanity. Albert was an elephant of 

 large size, his height at the shoulder being 8 feet, 4 inches. The skin, 

 which is in an excellent state of preservation, will probably be mounted 

 during the coming year. Other valuable specimens received from these 

 gentlemen were a leopard, a zebra, a llama, a blau-bok, and a kangaroo. 

 Avery fine female tiger was also purchased from them for a small sum. 

 All these, with the exception of the kangaroo, represent species new to 

 the collection. 



Mr. Lewis Sells, of Cincinnati, presented a skeleton of an eland, 

 Oreas carina. 



Mr. A. E. Brown, superintendent of the Philadelphia Zoological 

 Qardens, and Dr. W, A. Conkliu, superintendent of the Central Park 



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