Report of the President. 2 1 



in its acquirement of the gem material exhibited by Tiffany & Co. 

 at the Paris Exposition of 1900. 



The installation of these new gems and the incorporation with 

 them of the specimens of the former collection will proceed in the 

 new Gem Room, and may be expected to be completed during 

 the coming year. 



Department of Vertebrate Zoology. — The Department of 

 Vertebrate Zoology has received 728 mammals, 1,048 birds, and 

 about 25 reptiles and fishes. The most important additions have 

 been obtained by purchase, and include various small collections 

 from Alaska, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The South American 

 collections, though small, have added a considerable number of 

 species not previously represented in the Museum, several of 

 which proved new to science. An especially important addition 

 consists of a number of fine specimens of Moose, Bear and Caribou 

 from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. A number of valuable speci- 

 mens have been received in the flesh from the New York Zoologi- 

 cal Park and from the Central Park Menagerie. 



The Museum is indebted to Mr. W. H. Phelps for a specially 

 noteworthy gift of 300 A^enezuelan birds, many of them new to 

 the collection, and embracing the type specimens of several 

 species. 



About thirty mammals, forty-six birds, four reptiles and five 

 fishes have been mounted and added to the Exhibition Collection ; 

 also thirteen mounted skeletons of mammals, including three 

 Gorilla skeletons (male, female, and young), an Orang, Gibbon, 

 Potto, and Ornithorhynchus. Four mammal groups have been 

 added to the series designed to illustrate the fauna of the imme- 

 diate vicinity of New York City, and others are well advanced in 

 preparation. 



Department of Vertebrate Palaeontology. — This Depart- 

 ment will celebrate the decennial of its establishment by the 

 Trustees in May, 1901, as its organization was completed just ten 

 years ago. In the Curator's report to the President a brief review 

 of the history of the Department is made, including an outline of 

 various expeditions after fossil mammals and reptiles in the 



