The African Hall 31 



Wasps and Spiders, Dr. Joseph Bequaert (nearly prepared for publi- 

 cation) 



Butterflies, Dr. W. J. Holland, Director of Carnegie Museum, Pitts- 

 burgh 



Molluscs, Dr. H. A. Pilsbry of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences 

 Birds, Mr. James P. Chapin 



No less important than these technical and scientific reports 

 will be the Narrative of the Congo Expedition of The American 

 Museum of Natural History, which is in preparation by 

 Messrs. Lang and Chapin. Mr. Chapin's work on the birds 

 and on the narrative volume is temporarily interrupted by his 

 commission as First Lieutenant in Infantry. 



The mounting and sculpture of the animals for the African 



Hall are in charge of Mr. Carl E. Akeley, assisted by Mr. 



James L. Clark. During the past year two White 



Rhinoceroses have been completed and the first 



specimen of the Okapi is nearing completion. Progress has 



also been made on the great African Elephant Group. 



Five years have now been devoted by Curator Henry E. 

 Crampton to his exploration of the Polynesian Islands, under 

 the Carnegie Fund, in cooperation with the Ameri- 

 Polymesia can Museum. The first volume, entitled "Studies 

 Philippines on tne Variation, Distribution and Evolution of 

 the genus Partula, a Species Inhabiting Tahiti/' 

 appeared in January, 19 17, and will be followed in time by two 

 other volumes, constituting a very important contribution to 

 the land shell fauna of Polynesia, with a bearing on biological 

 problems. 



It is gratifying to report that our Philippine collections, 

 which were secured by the Museum in 1904, at the time of the 

 closing of the St. Louis Exposition, are now being carefully 

 reviewed by Dr. Alfred L. Kroeber of the University of Cali- 

 fornia, who has in preparation a handbook on this collection 

 which will embody not only a review of the collection but will 

 be a handbook to the ethnology, archaeology and zoology of the 

 Philippine Islands. 



