Annual Report.] 



232 [May 3, 



as constant work. I have had every bird soaked in ben- 

 zine or C. Naptha, and Mr. Arthur Smith has been employed 

 several hours of nearly every day in this labor, going over 

 and over the collection several times. The results are en- 

 courao-ino-. It is found that the Anthreni are confined to a 

 few badly infected birds and decrease in number at each ap- 

 plication. Notwithstanding the certainty that the beetles 

 can be exterminated with our present system of constant 

 supervision, the necessity of adopting some better method of 

 preservation is very evident. 



The cases are not fitted by their construction either for 

 containing the birds or for preserving them. Mr. Sanborn 

 has devised several ingenious modes of stopping the cracks 

 and stuffing the sashes, but as soon as one is caulked another 

 opening makes its appearance and opens a new road for the 

 incursions of these minute pests. 



A catalogue of the birds has been begun, and the work 

 partially completed for the gallery of Water Birds. 



MAMMALIA. 



This department, hitherto the poorest in our Museum, is 

 rapidly improving. 



A collection of the mammals of New England had been 

 commenced this year and was progressing favorably, though 

 slowly, when we received a donation of one thousand dollars 

 from the estate of the late Mr. Sidney Homer. The Council 

 appropriated this entirely to the purchase of New England 

 mammals and thus secured the completion of this portion of 

 our Museum. Mr. J. A. Allen has purchased several sj)ecies 

 from Mr. Rich, of Maine, and another lot from Mr. Maynard, 

 of this State. Among them are a fine pair of Otter skins 

 from Maine, and a remarkably fine specimen of Pine Marten. 

 A pair of foxes obtained from Mr. S. Jillson, also might be no- 

 ticed on account of their fine appearance, and especially the 

 dark color of the throat and breast of one of them. The 

 collection has been named, labelled, and catalogued and 



