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Department of Mammalogy, Ornithology, Herpetology 

 and Ichthyology. — Prof. J. A. Allen is in charge of this depart- 

 ment, having as assistant curator Mr. Frank M. Chapman, and 

 Mr. John Rowley as chief taxidermist. While the amount of 

 material received falls below the average for recent years, many 

 valuable specimens have been added, mainly through donations. 

 For want of means no birds were purchased during the year and 

 but few mammals, and these almost wholly for exhibition. 



Mr. Chapman's expedition to Yucatan, and the Peary expedi- 

 tion to Greenland, yielded good returns, but the collections de- 

 rived from Museum expeditions have been smaller than usual. 



A small number of reptiles and fishes have been received, the 

 latter mostly from the Aquarium at Battery Park. 



The schedules subjoined to the curator's report maybe summa- 

 rized as follows : 



Mammals. — Total number received, 625, of which 288 were 

 acquired through donations, 77 by exchange, 130 through Museum 

 expeditions, and 93 by purchase. 



Birds. — Total number of specimens received, 1725 skins and 

 570 eggs ; 1325 skins and most of the eggs were presented ; 21 

 were acquired by exchange, and 383 through Museum expedi- 

 tions. 



Additional facilities have been provided for storage of the 

 study collections ; the exhibition and study material is in safe 

 condition and free from museum pests. 



During the year about 100 mounted specimens were added to the 

 exhibition collection of North American mammals, and almost 

 this entire collection has been supplied with fresh labels. To 

 complete this collection many specimens are still needed, to obtain 

 which will require a liberal provision of means for carrying on 

 the work, which will necessarily extend over a number of years. 

 The smaller mammals are already either in the possession of the 

 Museum or can be readily obtained, and quite rapidly added to 

 the collection. The larger animals, however, can only be ac- 

 quired slowly, and at large expense. There are still lacking 

 specimens of the Wood Bison, of two species of Bighorn Sheep, of 

 three or four species of the Deer tribe, and of three or four large 



