32 Report of the President 



Pending the assignment of a new exhibition hall, few 

 changes have been made in the exhibition series, the present 

 congested condition of the halls making new additions imprac- 

 ticable. Several specimens have been or are being mounted 

 for exhibition. Among these mention may be made of skele- 

 tons of three of the ancient and peculiar reptiles and amphib- 

 ians of the Permian Period, Diopeus, Diadectes, Eryops, which 

 are among the oldest of large land animals; a skeleton of 

 Camptosaurus, a small herbivorous dinosaur; a skeleton of 

 Tyrannosaurus, the gigantic carnivorous dinosaur; a skeleton 

 of I£esperor?iis, the extinct toothed diving bird of the Creta- 

 ceous seas, and a Trachodon skeleton with skin. This last, 

 perhaps, is the most important acquisition of the year. It is 

 absolutely unique, showing the character of the body covering 

 of this giant dinosaur. It was found in Wyoming in 1908 by Mr. 

 Charles H. Sternberg, and is the gift of Mrs. Morris K. Jesup. 



Several desirable additions have been made through 

 exchange with other institutions and negotiations are pending 

 which will greatly increase our collections. 



The staff has displayed its usual activity in research, as 

 evidenced by the papers published, which are enumerated 

 under the section "Publications." 



LIVING AND EXTINCT REPTILES, BATRACHIANS 

 AND FISHES 



Department of Ichthyology and Herpetology. — Until 

 lately the reptiles, fishes and batrachians have been cared for 

 by the Department of Invertebrate Zoology, but realizing 

 the need of developing this branch of the Museum's collec- 

 tions, the Trustees created a Department of Ichthyology and 

 Herpetology, which was organized in July and Dr. Bashford 

 Dean of Columbia University, who had been Curator of the 

 Division of Fossil Fishes of the Museum's Department of 

 Vertebrate Palaeontology since 1903, was appointed Curator. 

 Dr. Louis Hussakof, Assistant Curator of Fossil Fishes, Miss 

 Mary C. Dickerson, Assistant on living reptiles and batrachi- 

 ans, and Mr. John Treadwell Nichols, Assistant on living 

 fishes, constitute the staff of the new department. 



