17 



The year 1896 is the fifth of the existence of this department, 

 and while the task contemplated at the outset has not been fully 

 completed, the success attained has been most gratifying. The 

 discovery of new fields, however, shows that many years of work 

 will still be required to complete what we have here undertaken. 



Attention is called to the annexed map, which shows the 

 regions that have thus far been explored. The shaded areas 

 indicate the successive lake beds of northern New Mexico, north- 

 ern Wyoming, southern Wyoming, northern Utah, South Dakota 

 and northern Kansas, which contain the remains of animals left 

 during a great life period of over a million years. 



The exhibit of the phylum of the horse, though imperfect, is 

 of exceptional educational value, and attracts a large share of 

 attention. Probably no one series of objects in the department 

 excels this in popular interest. As soon as the few remaining 

 gaps in this series can be filled, it will form an absolutely perfect 

 and unique exhibit. It is believed that the sum of ten thousand 

 dollars would enable the Museum to prosecute the explorations 

 necessary to secure a complete exhibit of the evolution of this 

 interesting animal, and I express the hope that some public 

 spirited friend of the Museum will desire to become identified 

 with this undertaking. The entire amount need not be supplied 

 at once, but could be contributed at intervals during a period of 

 five years, as the work progressed. 



Dr. Wortman conducted the exploration of the last season, 

 which resulted in the completion of the entire Eocene Collection, 

 the scene of operations being northern New Mexico and northern 

 Wyoming. The expedition achieved excellent success, obtaining 

 in northern New Mexico ample evidence that the Ground Sloths 

 originated in this country — the most important palsontological 

 discovery of the past ten years. 



A number of fine skulls and skeletons, collected in Nebraska, 

 have been purchased, completing the skeleton of one of our little 

 horses, and that of one of the ancestors of the camel. 



Mr. Handel T. Martin presented six skulls and portions of 

 skeletons of large swimming lizards, from Kansas. Thirty valua- 

 ble casts were received in exchange from Paris, and from the 

 British and Oxford Museums. From the University of Munich 



