12 



accepted a similar position in the American Museum of Natural 

 History. The Museum is most fortunate in having secured the 

 co-operation of Mr. William Brewster, who has kindly con- 

 sented to charge himself with the department formerly under 

 Mr. Allen's care. Since his appointment, Mr. Brewster has 

 made an examination of the mammal skins, and, in accordance 

 with the plan already carried out in other departments, of 

 rejecting everything not of the first quality, he has materially 

 reduced its bulk. The collection is now of great value, and can 

 readily be cared for. Before leaving, Mr. Allen finished label- 

 ling the specimens in the Indian, African, and European Rooms, 

 and he further revised the rapacious birds, the pigeons, and the 

 grouse. 



We have also lost the services of Mr. Paulus Roetter, who 

 for the past eighteen years has been the indefatigable artist of 

 the Museum, and to whose skilful pencil the Museum publi- 

 cations owe the greater part of their illustrations during that 

 time. 



Mr. Lyman, who during the past two years could give but a 

 most general supervision to his department, has now resumed 

 his place at Cambridge. 



The Museum is indebted to Messrs. Cabot and Slade for 

 their interest in behalf of their respective departments. Dr. 

 Slade has made a complete catalogue of the Osteological 

 collections. 



Professor Hamlin has unpacked and made a preliminary 

 arrangement of our acquisitions of Fossil Invertebrates ; they 

 are now safely stored in the four rooms of the first floor de- 

 voted to that purpose. He has also transferred to the upper 

 story the Fossil Vertebrates, which occupy two large rooms 

 of that floor. While an immense amount of work still re- 

 mains to be done on the collection of Fossils, they are all 

 accessible, and it will be a comparatively easy task to select 

 from our stores the necessary series for the Palseontological 

 Exhibition Rooms, and to place the collection in order for 

 special students. 



Mr. Garman has brought the collections of Fishes and Reptiles 

 into perfect order, and is gradually sending out our duplicates 

 for distribution to other institutions. Professors Hamlin and 

 Faxon have also condensed the alcoholic collections of Mollusks 



