18 



The work of identifying, cataloguing and labeling the collec- 

 tions has advanced steadily and satisfactorily throughout the 

 year. The entire collection of mammals, including both skins 

 and skulls, is now catalogued and labeled, excepting a few of the 

 most recent accessions. About 500 birds in the Exhibition Col- 

 lection have been provided with exhibition labels, and general or 

 family labels have been prepared for the entire exhibition series 

 of birds. About 12,000 birds in the Study Collection have been 

 catalogued and labeled, including the whole of the Lawrence 

 Collection. Notwithstanding this satisfactory progress, much 

 work remains to be done on both the Study and Exhibition Col- 

 lections of birds ; about 5000 of the latter being still uncata- 

 logued, and about 10,000 of the former. About two-thirds of 

 the uncatalogued material in the Study Collection has only re- 

 cently come into our possession, including the Mearns Collection, 

 which alone numbers over 5000 specimens. 



Much use has been made of our material during the past year 

 by specialists, and the important interchange of specimens for 

 comparison and study between this department and the leading 

 investigators and museums of this country has been continued. 

 The museum is already one of the leading resorts of specialists 

 engaged in ornithological work. 



In the elaboration of new material, and in working up special 

 groups, the Curator and his assistant have contributed thirteen 

 papers, aggregating 204 pages, to the Museum " Bulletin," as a 

 part of the work of the department during the last year. 



The following is a list, in the order of publication : 



1. Notes on a Collection of Birds from Quito, Ecuador. By 

 the Curator. 8 pp. Published March 22, 1889. 



2. List of Birds Collected in Bolivia by Dr. H. H. Rusby, with 

 Field Notes by the Collector. By the Curator. 46 pp. Pub- 

 lished March 22. 



3. Preliminary Descriptions of two apparently New Species of 

 Hesperomys from Florida. By Frank M. Chapman. 1 p. Pub- 

 lished June 7. 



4. Description of a New Sub-species of the Genus Sigmodon. 

 By Frank M. Chapman. 1 p. Published June 7. 



5. On the Habits of the Round-tailed Muskrat. By Frank M. 

 Chapman. 4 pp. Published June 7. 



6. On Cyclorhis viridis (Vieill.) and its Near Allies, with Re- 

 marks on other Species of the Genus Cyclorhis. By the Curator. 



14 pp. Published June 17. 



7. Descriptions of New Species of South American Birds, with 

 Remarks on various other little-known Species. By the Curator. 



15 pp. Published June 28. 



