8 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [May, 



together within reach of the curators, that everybody's task will 

 be rendered less laborious. 



With this I present also the special reports of the curators of 

 the different departments of the Museum, as parts of my own. 



All of which is respectfully submitted by 



Ls. AGASSIZ. 



Report on the Mammals, by J. A. Allen. 



Little has been done in this department during the past year 

 beyond the partial revision of the osteological collection, by Dr. 

 G. A Maack, and the work necessary to insure the safety of 

 the alcoholic specimens and the skins, and the cataloguing of 

 the recent additions. A small portion of the alcoholic collec- 

 tion, however, has been catalogued and systematically arranged ; 

 but on the whole the collections remain in nearly the condition 

 reported last year, a small part of the alcoholic collection being 

 still uncatalogued. This collection, as well as that of the skins, 

 continues in gocd condition ; but the increasing danger to the 

 skins from destructive insects, resulting from their hitherto 

 necessary storage in imperfectly closed cases, has shown the ne- 

 cessity of a more secure method of preservation. This danger 

 is now happily to be soon obviated, as these preparations are 

 soon to be transferred to hermetically closing tin cans, which 

 have already been provided. 



The additions during the past year number 242 specimens, 

 representing about 60 species. About one-fourth of these were 

 obtained through donations, and one-fourth by exchanges, the 

 rest having been acquired by purchase. Among the note- 

 worthy acquisitions are a European skeleton of Alces malchis ; 

 skeletons of a thoroughbred Jersey bull and Jersey cow, — the 

 first presented by the Massachusetts Agricultural College and 

 the last by Mr. H. C. Haskell of Deerfield ; and a collection of 

 Florida specimens, numbering 56 skins and 30 skulls, represent- 

 ing about 20 species, purchased of Mr. C. J. Maynard. The 

 osteological series designed to illustrate the different breeds of 

 domesticated animals has also been further increased by the 

 donation of the skeleton of a Black Hawk mare by Mr. Theo- 



