1872.] 1 79 5 [Annual Report. 
FISHES AND REPTILES. 
The labelling of the Fishes has been finished by Mr. San- 
born, and the Reptiles remain in the same condition as they 
were last year. We have received from the Smithsonian In- 
stitution a valuable lot of the skins of the larger fishes of the 
coast of Massachusetts, which have already been referred to 
in the general report. 
-BIRDS. 
The rearrangement of this department is proceeding rapidly. 
The attempt to place the birds according to their respective 
countries, in a grand faunal collection, has been abandoned. 
Mr. Allen devised a plan, at my suggestion, which was en- 
tirely practicable, and would have been easily completed. It. 
was found, however, that the advantage to the Museum of 
having at least one of its departments arranged in faunal 
groups was more than outweighed by the disadvantages of 
such an arrangement. When assembled in faunal groups the 
systematic relations of animals are inconspicuous, reference to 
to any particular species is difficult, and among such a multi- 
tude of birds only the facts of the range of certain species over 
certain areas is shown. It was thought best, therefore, to 
place the birds systematically, so that the groups could be seen 
and studied together, and to supplement this with small col- 
lections, which should show how certain birds are modified 
according to their geographical distribution. 
A number of valuable skins have been obtained by pur- 
chase from Mr. Kumlien of Wisconsin and Mr. Maynard, by ex- 
change with Mr. Henshaw, and by donation from the Smith- 
sonian Institution. The increase in this department has been 
more marked by the great variety and value of the addi- 
tions than by their number. The nest and eggs of Den- 
droica castanea presented by Mr. Bailey, the eggs of the Cor- 
vus Floridanus, an egg of Rostrhamus sociabilis, one of 
