44 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. x 



accepted by the Museum, the transfer of the specimens to the Smithso- 

 nian building was effected during the month of May. This collection, 

 numbering 712 specimens, consisted largely of common North Ameri- 

 can birds, the mounting of which was not up to the standard required 

 for exhibition in the Museum collection. Being, however, suitable 

 for purely educational purposes, this surplus stock is at present being 

 made up into sets for distribution to schools or other public educa- 

 tional establishments which may require such material. The remain- 

 der of the collection, consisting of a very good series of the different va- 

 rieties of the domesticated fowl and a smaller number of specimens 

 of exotic Phasianidcc, has been properly arranged for exhibition in the 

 Museum cases. 



Mr. Eidgway reports the accession of 3,G81 specimens of birds and 

 185 specimens of nests and eggs. 



(c) Department of Reptiles and Batrachians. 



Active work in this department has been practically suspended dur- 

 ing these six months, owing to the absence of the honorary curator, 

 Dr. H. 0. Yarrow, on business connected with the Army Medical Mu- 

 seum. 



(d) Department of Fishes. 



Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, curator of the Department of Fishes, reports 

 297 entries on the catalogue. The most important collections were 

 made, as usual, by the vessels of the U. S. Fish Commission. The 

 Albatross collections are very large and important. The curator ac- 

 companied the Albatross from the 3d of January to the 20th of Febru- 

 ary, during her cruise off the southern coast and the West Indies, and 

 in the Caribbean Sea, and in the Gulf of Mexico until the time of her 

 arrival at New Orleans, being engaged in making observations upon the 

 living specimens of the deep-sea fishes and upon the southward range 

 of the east coast food-fishes. During the week spent at the island of 

 Cozumel he had opportunity, incidentally, of aiding Mr. Benedict in se- 

 curing a lar<;e series of the birds of that island, while the seining for 

 fishes along the shore yielded 57 species. At is~ew Orleans a short time 

 was spent in attaching descriptive labels to casts of fishes in the expo- 

 sition. 



(e) Department of Comparative Anatomy. 



This department is under the care of Mr. F. W. True, curator of 

 mammals.* 



Mr. F. A. Lucas has prepared the osteological specimens for the ex- 

 hibition and study series, and it is hardly too much to say that a more 

 beautiful and accurately mounted collection is not anywhere to be found. 



Early in the year a number of exhibition cases were set up in the 

 east-south range, and in the latter part of February a provisional ar- 



