REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 17 



DIVISION OF ZOOLOGY. 



DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALS. 



The most important work has been the commencement of a re-ar- 

 rangement of the exhibition hall. The cases previously in use were 

 found unsuitable, and others of a new model have been substituted. 

 An exceedingly fine series of buffalo skins and skeletons from Montana 

 has been added to the collection, as the result of the expedition sent 

 out under the leadership of Mr. Hornaday. 



Among the most valuable Accessions may be mentioned the gifts of 

 Dr. J. C. Merrill, U. S. Army ; Mr. John Gundlach, Mr. C. B. Cory, and 

 Mr. Anastasio Alfaro. The Zoological Society of Philadelphia and the 

 Central Park Menagerie of New York have presented several animals 

 in captivity. From the old world accessions have been received from 

 Mr. E. Hargitt, and from the Fish Acclimatization Society of Ballarat. 

 Among aquatic mammals obtained, may be mentioned a skeleton of an 

 adult male West India monk seal, Monachus tropicalis, purchased from 

 Mr. H. A. Ward. Capt, M. A. Healy, of the U. S. Kevenue Marine, 

 presented three skins of the ribbon seal, Phoca fasciata. The U. S. 

 Fish Commission secured some harbor seals off Wood's Holl, Massa- 

 chusetts. Specimens of porpoise were presented by Lieut. Commander 

 II. E. Nichols, U. S. Navy, and skeletons of the common dolphin, 

 pygmy sperm whale, and short-finned blackfish were received from Mr. 

 Bayley T. Barco, keeper of the U. S. Life-Saving Station at Dam Neck 

 Mills, North Carolina. In this connection reference should be made 

 to the continuance by the Superintendent and officials of the U. S. Life- 

 Saving Service of their courteous co-operation in notifying the Museum 

 of the stranding of cetaceans and in attending to the shipment of speci- 

 mens to Washington. 



Specimens representing 27 species have been added to the exhibition 

 series during the year. There are now 752 specimens in the exhibition 

 series and 4,088 in the study series. The alcoholic series numbers 2,971. 



The curator, Mr. F. W. True, has been occupied most of the time 

 available for study in completing his " Beview of the Species of the 

 Family DelpMnidcv." He has also made a special study of the color 

 variations of the puma, Felis concolor. 



DEPARTMENT OF BIRDS. 



The accessions received by this department during the year have 

 been numerous and important, and the curator, Mr. Bobert Bidgway, 

 has made in his report special mention of 59 as being of peculiar in- 

 terest. The amount of literary work accomplished is exemplified by 

 the fact that 92 papers, based upon the collection, have been published 

 during the year. Of this number, 59 were written by the curator and 

 assistant curator, Dr. Leonhard Stejneger. 



Mr. Bidgway has completed his series of analytical keys to North 

 American birds, which is being issued by a Philadelphia publisher under 

 H. Mis. 600, pt. 2 2 



