REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE ANATOMY IN THE 

 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



By Frederick W. True, Acting Curator. 



For reasons already pointed out in the report for 1885, this depart- 

 ment continues of necessity to be in fact a department of comparative 

 osteology, and with the rapidly increasing amount of material it is dif- 

 ficult for the present force to do full justice to it, even as thus limited. 

 Mammalian osteology still largely preponderates in the exhibition series, 

 but representative forms of other classes are being added as fast as 

 possible. 



Among the more notable accessions of the year are a Gorilla ( Gorilla 

 savagei) obtained with other specimens in an exchange with the Paris 

 Museum of Natural History; a fine example of the Caribbean Seal 

 (Monachus tropicalis): and a Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps). 

 This last was secured, with two other cetaceans, through Oapt. B. T. 

 Barco, keeper of the U. S. life-saving station at Dam Neck Mills, Vir- 

 ginia. 



Mr. William T. Hornaday, chief taxidermist of the Museum, collected 

 a large and valuable series of skeletons and skulls of the Bison (Bison 

 americanus), besides many other very desirable skeletons of smaller 

 mammals and of birds. By the continued courtesy of Mr. A. E. Brown, 

 of the Philadelphia Zoological Society, and Mr. W. A. Conklin, of the 

 Central Park Menagerie, many valuable specimens have been added to 

 the collection. 



The series of birds preserved in alcohol has very largely increased 

 and contains many important forms. 



Work upon the study and exhibition series. has steadily progressed 

 during the year, the number of specimens which have been prepared or 

 mounted being shown in the report of the osteological preparator, who 

 has been appointed assistant curator of this department. 



As fast as possible the specimens on exhibition have been provided 

 with printed labels, while to increase the educational value of this se- 

 ries many colored sketches of living animals have been placed alongside 

 of the skeletons of the species to which they belong. 



Much has been done in classifying and arranging the study series of 

 bird-skeletons, but much still remains to be done. 



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