14 Report of the President. 



Department of Geology and Invertebrate Palaeon- 

 tology. — Although the collections of fossil vertebrates are 

 now so complete that large purchases of new material are not 

 often necessary, the possession of such collections carries with 

 it many scientific obligations, and on no department of the 

 Museum are there more frequent calls for scientific data or 

 expert advice. 



The Associate Curator made his second trip to the West 

 Indies early in the year, investigating the volcanic phenomena 

 that have followed the disturbances of 1902, and has prepared 

 and carefully illustrated the work that the Museum has thus 

 far accomplished in Martinique and other islands of the 

 Lesser Antilles. 



In August Dr. Hovey represented the Museum at the Inter- 

 national Congress of Geologists held in Vienna; and in Decem- 

 ber he attended the conference of the Geological Society of 

 America, held at St. Louis. At both these places he delivered 

 papers bearing upon the work of the Museum. 



Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology. — During 

 the past year no department has more affected the general 

 appearance of our exhibition halls than this. Early in the 

 year the Shore Bird group was completed. It has been ad- 

 mired by thousands. Then followed the splendid group of 

 Osborn Caribou, the White-fronted Musk-ox and the Sitka 

 Deer. A small group illustrating the geographical variation of 

 the Song Sparrow has excited considerable comment, and our 

 illustrations of the mounted specimens of the Long-tailed Fowl 

 have been extensively copied in various European journals. 



From time to time the osteologist has added to the collec- 

 tion of skulls and antlers. These have been placed on panels 

 in the corridors and exhibition halls. Those illustrating four 

 species of Caribou, and the Black-tailed and Virginia Deer are 

 noteworthy. 



Several friends have united in the support of the work of 

 this department. Mr. William F. Whitehouse has contributed 

 a series of mammal skins from Abyssinia, and Messrs. Grant 

 and Moore, several skins of the Mountain Caribou, Mountain 



