Report of the President 41 



more careful and observant visitors. This collection will be 

 further coordinated by framed lists over each section, detail- 

 ing its contents, so that visitors can readily find the particular 

 mineral they wish to see. 



Large maps, showing at a glance the mineral resources of 

 each State, are in course of preparation. Through the gener- 

 osity of the President and Trustees of the Nevada Consoli- 

 dated Copper Company, the Museum is to receive a large wall 

 painting, for the Morgan Hall of Minerals, of the ''shovel-pit" 

 at their enormous properties at Ely, Nevada. The painting, 

 which is being executed by the artist Mr. Albert Operti, is 

 nearly finished, and has already received commendation. The 

 engineers of the Company have been most helpful in supplying 

 information and offering suggestions. 



The accessions of the past year have been gratifying, and 

 the expenditure of the revenue from the Bruce Fund has added 

 to the collection many important and attractive specimens. 

 Accessions claiming precedence are Benitoites and Neptunite, 

 Beryls and Tourmalines from California, an interesting ex- 

 change from Japan, many new and unusual minerals, with 

 interesting examples of more representative species, and a 

 very brilliant assemblage of cut and polished Agates from 

 Miss Elvine Richard, of New York City. 



MAMMALS AND BIRDS 



J. A. Allen, Curator 



Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology. — The 

 accessions in mammalogy exceed in number those of recent 

 years, and include a number of species of very great rarity 

 and importance. The accessions in ornithology exceed by 

 three-fold those of any recent year and are especially impor- 

 tant in their bearing upon the distribution and relationships of 

 the birds of western South America. 



As usual, we have received during the year many mammals 

 and birds in the flesh from the New York Zoological Society 

 and from the Central Park Menagerie. These include a num- 

 ber of species of both birds and mammals of unusual interest. 

 We are also indebted to Mr. C. William Beebe for a small 



