Report of the President 6g 



As in former years, the principal accessions have been 

 acquired through Museum expeditions, but never have the 

 accessions from this source so greatly preponder- 

 ated as during the present year. The accessions 

 comprise about 4,375 mammals and about 14,000 birds, 

 of which about ninety per cent, are from Museum expedi- 

 tions. 



We are indebted especially to the New York Zoological 

 Society and to the Department of Parks for many valuable 

 birds and mammals received in the flesh. We are deeply 

 indebted to the Goeldi Museum at Para, Brazil, through the 

 Director, Dr. Emilie Snethlage, for a large gift of birds and 

 mammals from the lower Amazon, nearly all of which were 

 not only new to our collections but include rare and interest- 

 ing types. A number of very desirable birds and mammals 

 have also been received from Brother Apolinar Maria, from 

 the Bogota district. 



The collection of birds and mammals received through the 



Congo Expedition of the American Museum of Natural 



^ „ History is not only remarkable for number 



Congo Jbxpediuon _ , _ , . , 



of specimens but for careful preparation and 



exceptionally complete and valuable field notes. Although a 



large part of the collection was necessarily stored for several 



years in an excessively humid, tropical climate, awaiting 



favorable transportation, every specimen arrived at the 



Museum in excellent condition — probably an unparalleled 



record for natural history field work in the tropics. The 



mammals obtained number about 3,000 specimens and include 



not only large series of the smaller species, as bats, insectivores 



and rodents, but many large forms, as rhinos, elephants, pigs, 



buffalos, antelopes in great variety, carnivores and monkeys. 



Among the many especially notable species are the okapi, 



bongo, giant eland, giraffe, wild hogs and white rhinoceros. 



The birds number about 6,000, representing very fully the 



avifauna of the Congo. Many species of both birds and 



mammals were collected with accessories for mounting as 



habitat groups. 



