1 6 Report of the President. 



The Curator has published in the Bulletin a paper entitled 

 "Notes on Some Jurassic Fossils from Franz Josef Land," 

 and, jointly with the Associate Curator, a paper "Remarks 

 on and Descriptions of Jurassic Fossils of the Black Hills." 



Dr. Hovey has continued to attend to the publication of 

 the American Museum Journal, with the exception of the 

 October issue which was edited by Mr. Chapman. He has 

 also assisted in the Members' course of lectures, in the chil- 

 dren's course and in the holiday lectures. 



During the summer Dr. Hovey was granted leave of absence 

 to enable him to attend the Tenth International Geological 

 Congress held in Mexico, at which he represented the Museum. 

 On the expeditions in connection with the Congress a valuable 

 series of rocks, ores and fossils was secured for the Museum, 

 together with about 450 negatives of characteristic scenery. 



Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology. — Several 

 noteworthy gifts have been received in this department. 

 Among the first should be mentioned the generous contribu- 

 tions of Mr. George S. Bowdoin for the development of the 

 Museum's collection of Cetacea (whales, dolphins, porpoises, 

 etc.). This is a most important work, as these animals are 

 decreasing in numbers so rapidly that their extinction is not 

 far distant. Mr. Bowdoin's gift has enabled the Museum to 

 purchase a complete skeleton of a Fin-baek Whale more than 

 seventy feet in length, and five skeletons of smaller whales, 

 including the very rare species Mesoplodon layardi. A life-size 

 model of a Sulphur-bottom Whale, measuring seventy-six feet 

 in length, is nearing completion. 



The widespread interest taken in the bird groups, men- 

 tioned in earlier reports, and their evident educational value 

 induced the original subscribers to the North American Orni- 

 thology Fund and some of their friends to make additional 

 contributions for carrying on this important work. Under 

 this gift, Mr. Chapman went into the field in May and spent 

 three months in collecting material for new groups and in 

 making studies of the bird life of the regions visited. The 

 Prairie Hen Group, Arizona Desert Group and Golden Eagle 



