EXHIBIT AT THE COTTON STATES EXPOSITION. 617 



American Flamingoes and their nests {from a photograph). — This 

 group shows the manner in which the Flamingo sits upon its eggs; the 

 specimens are from the Bahama Islands, where the nests are made of 

 decomposed white coral. 



Mexican Jacanas. — These specimens, from Lake Patzcuaro, in Micho- 

 acau, Mexico, illustrate the peculiar habit of walking upon floating 

 leaves of aquatic plants, for which these birds are well adapted by their 

 long, slender toes. 



The Interrupted Dinner. — This group, mounted by Mr. F. A. Lucas, 

 received a diploma of honor at the Boston exhibition of the Society of 

 American Taxidermists. A Bed-Tailed Hawk, while eating a Grouse 

 or Pheasant, is attacked by a marauding Goshawk. 



Collective exhibit of Birds of Paradise. — A representative collection, 

 including about thirty different species of this family of birds from 

 New Guinea, so remarkable for the beauty of its plumage. 



DEPARTMENT OF REPTILES. 



A group of the poisonous snakes of the United States (Alcove E), in 

 connection with which was shown the important illustrated memoir 

 upon "The Poisonous Snakes of North America," by Dr. Leonhard 

 Stejneger, which had just been published by the museum. The speci- 

 mens had been brought together from widely separated localities. The 

 following species were represented : 



(1) Diamond Battlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus), Southwestern States; 

 (2, 3) Banded Battlesnake (Crotalus horridus), Eastern States, south to 

 Florida and the Mexican Gulf, west to Kansas; (4) Prairie Battlesnake 

 (Crotalus eonfluentus), Great Plains; (5) Western Diamond Rattlesnake 

 (Crotalus atrox), Southern United States, from Texas to the Gulf of 

 California; (7, 8) Southern Ground Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius), 

 Southeastern States; (9, 10) Copperhead (Aghistrodon contortrix), East- 

 ern and Southern States; (11 to 13) Water Moccasin (Agldstrodon 

 piscivorus), Southeastern States; (14) Harlequin Snake (Elaps fulvius), 

 Southeastern and Gulf States. 



DEPARTMENT OE FISHES. 



The Department of Fishes shows (Alcove E) a portion of a collection, 

 which, if exhibited as a whole, would have contained a representative 

 of every one of the 250 existing families of fishes. The abridged collec- 

 tion actually shown included 73 of the most characteristic American 

 families. The method of installation was a new one. 



DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. 



This collection occupied the wall space in Alcoves C and D, and its 

 exhibits, arranged by Mr. F. A. Lucas, were intended to illustrate the 

 structure of a considerable number of the most interesting types of the 

 animal kingdom. 



