12 



" Mr. Geo. B. Sennett's Collection, now on deposit at the 

 Museum, is a very important addition to the scientific resources 

 of the institution, and has already proved of great usefulness to 

 the Curator of this department, to whom it is as freely accessible 

 as if it were the property of the Museum. The collection is not 

 only important as a general study collection of North American 

 birds, but especially so on account of the very large series of rare 

 Texas birds and birds' eggs it contains. As will be seen from the 

 list of donations appended, Mr. Sennett has contributed a number 

 of rare species of birds and mammals to our North American 

 desiderata. 



" Osteological Collection. — The mounted skeletons of 

 mammals and birds, formerly kept in separate cases by themselves, 

 have been distributed through the exhibition collections of 

 mounted skins. In this way the cases occupied by the skeletons 

 have become available for other uses, while the skeletons them- 

 selves are so arranged that they may be directly compared with 

 the mounted skins of the same species. The collection of skulls 

 and unmounted skeletons have been cleaned and catalogued, and 

 cases having been fitted up for them on the stair-landing, the only 

 available space, the collection is now secure from deterioration 

 and conveniently accessible for use. The utility of skulls and 

 skeletons is so great in the study of mammals that no opportunity 

 to increase this collection should be neglected. 



The Curator Avould here add that he feels greatly the need of 

 assistance. He is sure of some volunteer aid from some of the 

 young ornithologists of this city — excellent in quality, but wholly 

 fortuitous, and therefore uncertain. If means could be made 

 available for temporary assistance, when most needed, it would 

 greatly expedite the work of the department. The Curator would 

 also again call attention to the serious degree to which he is crip- 

 pled in his work by the lack of important works of reference 

 relating to birds and mammals, and would urge the meeting of 

 this deficiency with the least possible delay." 



DEPARTMENT OF MARINE ZOOLOGY. 



" At the time the collections were removed from the Arsenal to 

 the new building in Manhattan Square, the several departments 

 were represented so largely in specimens, no provision could be 

 made for the department of Marine Zoology. This being true 

 at the early period of the occupation of the new Museum building, 

 it follows that the rapidly increasing material in all departments 

 contributed practically to exclude it indefinitely from public 

 exhibition. 



" An exceptionally fine collection of corals of Florida and West 

 Indies, as well as those of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, had 



