22 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



and batrachians, and 4 of fishes. The inainmalian series is at present 

 much the largest, and that of alcoholic birds, important for anatomical 

 purposes, contains many forms. 



Reference to the statement of work accomplished by the osteological 

 preparator* will show the number of specimens which have been pre- 

 pared or mounted. The Zoological Society of Philadelphia and the 

 Central Park Menagerie in New York have generously continued to 

 send specimens of animals which have died in captivity. 



Among the principal accessions may be mentioned a gorilla, Gorilla 

 savagei, obtained from the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, a fine 

 example of Caribbean seal, Monachus tropicalis, and a small whale, 

 Kogia breviceps,f which was secured through the co-operation of Capt. 

 B. T. Barco, of the life-saving station at Dam Neck Mills, in Virginia. 

 Numerous skeletons and skulls of the American buffalo, Bison ameri- 

 canusy and of other mammals and of birds, were added to the collection 

 as a result of the successful expedition sent out by the Institution to 

 Montana under the charge of Mr. William T. Hornaday. 



The exhibition series now includes nearly 500 specimens. 



DEPARTMENT OF INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS (PALEOZOIC). 



The work of this department, under the curatorship of Mr. C. D. 

 Walcott, of the U. S. Geological Survey, has made marked progress. 

 Thirty-six accessions, aggregating 4,009 specimens, have been received 

 and, for the most part, identified. Many of these accessions consisted of 

 materials gathered by officers of the U. S. Geological Survey during the 

 summer of 1886, and duly transferred to the custody of the Museum by 

 Major Powell, the Director of the Survey. Dr. R. R. Gurley has been 

 designated to act as assistant, and the curator reports rapid progress 

 in the classification and arrangement of the material. He further states 

 that a very good representative collection for exhibition will be ready 

 as soon as exhibition cases can be supplied. Mr. Walcott has continued 

 his studies upon the Cambrian faunas of North America, and during 

 the year has published in the American Journal of Science a memoir 

 relating to the classification of this system. 



DEPARTMENT OF INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS (MESOZOIC). 



Dr. C. A. White, of the U. S. Geological Survey, continues his work 

 upon the collection of mesozoic fossils. He states that during the year 

 he has been enabled to complete the card catalogue of all the Museum 

 materials in his custody. The entire collection is now ready for exhi- 

 bition, and it is unfortunate that no space is at present available for 

 this important and carefully identified material. The accessions during 

 the year numbered twelve, and 1,033 entries were made in the cata- 

 logue. 



* See page 40. 



t See report of Department of Mammals. 



