MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 5 



Another series of Icelandic birds due to the kind initiative of 

 Messrs. J. W. Hastings and L. J. de G. de Milhau has been re- 

 ceived. These birds, mounted by Rowland Ward, are excellent 

 examples of modern taxidermy, and make a most interesting exhibi- 

 tion of the avifauna of an ancient continental island. It is with 

 sincere regret that the death of Mr. Hastings in New York on 

 April 26th, 1908, is recorded. Mr. de Milhau writes that he will 

 continue the collection as heretofore in the joint names of Mr. 

 Hastings and himself. 



Dr. William Lord Smith has sent to the Museum a number 

 of mammalian heads and horns; many of these will be utilized 

 for exhibition. From Dr. Smith the Museum has also received a 

 fine male Woodland Caribou (Rangifer caribou) which Mr. Nelson 

 has mounted for the North American collection. Mr. Nelson has 

 mounted most effectively a Grant's Caribou (Rangifer granti) 

 from Alaska, a gift of Mr. Francis T. Colby, to whom the Museum 

 is indebted furthermore for a crocodile from Ceylon and for some 

 specimens (skulls and skins) of three species of Alaskan bears. 



The New York Zoological Society, through its Director, Dr. 

 W. T. Hornaday and its Curator of Reptiles, Mr. R. L. Ditmars, 

 has continued to place the Museum under deep obligations by its 

 gifts; from them we have received a specimen of the remarkable 

 African tortoise, Cinyxis erosa and two large monitors, Varanus 

 salvator (with skeleton) from Ceylon, and V . niloticus from Angola, 

 West Africa, all prepared for exhibition by Mr. Nelson. 



The Museum is also indebted to Dr. R. T. Jackson for some 

 rare and interesting fossils, to Professors W. E. Castle and C. B. 

 Davenport and to Mr. Arthur Perrin for specimens for the collec- 

 tion of animals under domestication, and to Mr. Charles Bullard 

 for a collection of fresh-water sponges. 



The extensive series of bones of the Great Auk, obtained last 

 year from Mr. William Barbour's gift for present use, have been 

 sorted over in part, and several complete skeletons have been 

 mounted most successfully by Mr. Michael Reitz. It is hoped 

 that these skeletons can be exchanged with other Museums. 



From the American Museum of Natural History the Museum 

 has received, in exchange, a series of Hawaiian corals named by 

 Dr. T. Wayland Vaughan. 



A fine example of Weddell's Seal, captured during the stay of the 



