1 6 Report of the President. 



Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology. — Several 

 important installations of groups have been finished and others 

 are well under way. The striking Flamingo Group and a group 

 illustrating the bird life of the irrigated portion of the San 

 Joaquin Valley, California, have been completed and opened 

 to the public. Two Bahama bird groups, the White-crowned 

 Pigeon and Ani, have been installed, and considerable work 

 has been done on the Sandhill Crane and Pelican Island 

 groups. 



Of mammals, the Mexican Collared Peccary has been com- 

 pleted, and progress has been made in the preparation of the 

 Roosevelt Elk, the big Alaskan Peninsula Bear, Coati, Ante- 

 lope and Polar Bear groups. 



Mr. J. H. Batty has continued to collect in Mexico for the 

 Museum, and has prepared and shipped 1,520 mammal skins 

 and 1,680 bird skins, besides numerous reptiles and inverte- 

 brates which have been turned over to the Department of In- 

 vertebrate Zoology. Most of this material was collected in 

 the State of Jalisco, and includes some very valuable species. 



On an expedition to the State of Washington in search of 

 elk, Mr. J. D. Figgins obtained accessories for the Elk Group 

 and specimens and accessories for a Beaver Group. The 

 beaver is particularly interesting as representing a form pecul- 

 iar to the humid region of the Northwest. 



Besides the accessions already noted, special mention should 

 be made of a splendid series of skulls of the Hippopotamus, and 

 the Giraffe, the gift of Mr. George S. Bowdoin; 358 mammals 

 and 525 birds, collected in Chiriqui, Panama, the gift of Mr. 

 J. H. Batty, and various specimens of mammals and birds, 

 received in the flesh, through the courtesy of the New York 

 Zoological Society and the Central Park Menagerie. 



A notable acquisition has been received from Miss M. R. 

 Audubon and Miss Florence Audubon. It comprises several 

 original colored drawings of great value and articles of dress 

 and field equipment belonging to their grandfather, the 

 eminent naturalist and bird lover, John James Audubon. In 

 the collection are many sketches and paintings made by his 

 son, J. W. Audubon. 



