92 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



As already stated, the exhibit of the National Museum was of much greater 

 extent than that of any of the other Smithsonian bureaus. 

 Two objects were kept in mind in its organization : 



(1) To show as far as possible the extensive scope of the Museum. 



(2) To indicate the manner in which the collections are arranged, labeled, and 

 displayed in the Museum building in Washington. 



In carrying out the first idea it was necessary to exhibit a small number of objects 

 from many different kinds of collections, which had a certain disadvantage in a 

 space so comparatively small, as the bringing into close proximity of objects not 

 nearly related could not be avoided. It was impracticable, on account of the limited 

 space, to show all the different classes of objects in the Museum. 



The greater portion of the labels, cases, stands, bases, backgrounds, and other 

 fittings and furniture were from the regular stock of the Museum, although a few 

 methods of installation entirely novel were introduced for the first time in connec- 

 tion with the exhibit. 



Department of mammals. — This department exhibited in two cases a representation 

 of the interesting order of mammals known as the lemurs — monkey-like animals — 

 especially characteristic of the island of Madagascar, but having representatives 

 on the continents of Africa aud Asia. The group comprises about 35 species, of which 

 18 were shown, among them the especially remarkable aye-aye, so long a puzzle to 

 zoologists on account of peculiarities of its structure, and one of the Tarsiers ( Tarsius 

 spectrum) which are notable for the great size of their eyes. 



On the walls were casts of heads of two genera of the so-called Ziphioid whales, 

 Hesoplodon and ZipMus; of the Pygmy Sperm Whale, Eogia, and of the New Zealand 

 Whale, Neobalmna, the smallest and rarest of the true whalebone whales. 



The exhibit was prepared and installed, under the direction of the curator of 

 mammals, by Mr. William Palmer. 



Department of birds. — The birds were exhibited in four cases on the main aisle, one 

 of which contained a representation of the parrots, and the other a faunal collection 

 from British Guiana, South America. 



Parrots. — This collection comprised 124 specimens, representing about 100 species, 

 or about one-fifth of those that are known. All the subfamilies were represented 

 and the more important genera, so that the collection was a fair exhibit of the 

 group. 



Birds of Guiana. — This exhibit represented a tropical bird fauna notable for 

 bright colors and peculiar forma. It was, of course, very incomplete, as it was 

 impracticable to show all of the eight hundred or nine hundred species which are 

 found in Guiana. 



The exhibit was prepared by Mr. Robert Ridgway, assisted by Mr. C. W. Richmond. 



Department of reptiles and batracMans. — The exhibit of this department consisted 

 of a group of the poisonous snakes of the United States, cast in plaster, and a similar 

 group of the fresh-water and land tortoises of North America. A cast of the head 

 of a logger-head turtle was also included. The specimens were brought together 

 from widely separated localities. 



The following species were represented : 



Poisonous Snakes of the United States. — Diamond rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus, 

 Southeastern States. 



Banded rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus, Eastern States, south to Florida and the 

 the Mexican Gulf, m est to Kansas. 



Prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus conflnentus, Great Plains. 



Western diamond rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, Southern United States, from Texas 

 to the Gulf of California. 



