1868.] SENATE— No. 218. 19 



museums, mostly in payment for previous boxes received ; and 

 although less in number than daring the previous year, which 

 was a very unusual one by reason of our large accession of 

 desirable objects of exchange from Brazil, is yet quite respect- 

 able, and has occupied much time and attention, besides nearly 

 or quite extinguishing all our indebtedness to our exchange 

 contributors. 



During the coming year, the collection purchased of Mr. 

 Anthony will receive special attention, and when that is placed 

 on tablets a full and complete catalogue may be expected. 



Report on the Mammals and Birds, by Francis R. St^hli, M. D. 



Upon assuming the duties of an assistant in the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology, I received the following instructions 

 from Professor Agassiz : — 



" In the present condition of the collections gathered together 

 in the Museum, it should be your first and constant aim to 

 place the specimens of Mammalia and Birds in as perfect a 

 state of security as our means and room will allow. Before 

 you undertake any other work, make it your duty to overhaul 

 the whole collection of alcoholic specimens of Mammalia and 

 Birds, in order to ascertain, first, whether the labels which 

 indicate their origin are legible or not, and if not well pre- 

 served, replace them by the addition of new ones, without, 

 however, destroying the old ones ; and in the second place, 

 whether the alcohol in which they are preserved, is of sufficient 

 strength to insure the permanent safety of the specimens. As 

 this is a kind of labor which cannot be carried on for weeks in 

 succession, you should alternate with the making of such 

 anatomical preparations as will increase the value of the 

 specimens preserved, and also lead to the most accurate identi- 

 fication of the species under examination. This more scientific 

 work should be conducted in the following manner : — 



"First. Bring together all the specimens of the same species, 

 and collected at the same place and at the same time, and from 

 these select a series for preservation in the zoological collection. 

 These specimens are then to be thoroughly cleaned, washed in 

 alcohol, and put up separately. The number of specimens to 



