MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 9 



In 1906 the Museum was enabled through the generosity of 

 Mr. Agassiz to undertake the renovation of all its entrance and 

 exhibition halls. Since that date a number of the work rooms in 

 the Museum have, from the Museum's own resources, undergone 

 a similar renovation, and during these changes additional safe- 

 guards against fire, such as resistant doors and windows, have 

 been introduced. Danger from fire is lessened also by the with- 

 drawal of alcoholic specimens on exhibition and by the subsitu- 

 tion of carbon tetrachloride for carbon bisulphide as a preventive 

 against insect pests. The number of mounted reptiles and fishes 

 introduced in place of alcoholic specimens of the same has been 

 very great during recent years. Carbon tetrachloride is less 

 volatile and less disagreeable to work with than carbon bisul- 

 phide; to be equally effective, however, it must be used in larger 

 quantities than is necessary with carbon bisulphide, but it is not 

 inflammable and notwithstanding its greater cost has proved a 

 most desirable substitute for carbon bisulphide. 



New cases have been built in the exhibition rooms devoted to 

 the Systematic collections of mammals and of coelenterates, 

 and in the North American room the three floor cases have been 

 replaced by one large case, which encloses also the central space 

 of the gallery of the fourth floor. Additional space for the display 

 of mammals and birds is afforded by this change. A new wall 

 case in the North American gallery has also been built. 



Mr. Bangs is making good progress in overhauling the study 

 collection of bird skins, merging the E. A. and O. Bangs series and 

 the very many skins received in recent years from Mr. John E. 

 Thayer with the Museum collection, and arranging the entire 

 series according to the British Museum Hand List. With addi- 

 tional equipment in the way of cases, this important department 

 will be in the course of a few years in most satisfactory condition. 



In addition to his collecting in British East Africa, Dr. G. M. 

 Allen has been employed for three days in each week throughout 

 the year. The condition of the study series of mammals shows 

 constant improvement as the result of his work, which includes 

 the identification or reidentification and rearrangement of the 

 entire series of skins and skulls, together with the labeling and 

 cataloguing where such work is necessary. Following Troues- 

 sart's Catalogue the collection is in order as far as the Muridae. 



