Page Eight 



iug off native aiiinials in lar^e numbers. Moreover, Australian furs have 

 become the vogue, and a great drive has been made after them. Dr. 

 Lucas notes that at one St. Louis sale there were 533,000 Australian 

 opossums and 204,000 ring-tails disposed of. All accounts indicate that 

 this fauna is disappearing as rapidly as did the l)uffalo in the last century. 

 The Museum will make great efforts to secure specimens while they are 

 still available. 



Preparations for the Second Eugenics Congress are proceeding satis- 

 factorily. Among other exhibits planned for the Congress will be one 

 illustrating the chief European races which have contributed to the 

 population of America. 



At the latest meeting of the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, Dr. Miner was elected a Fellow. 



Dr. Lucas states that everj- Curator has complained that he has not 

 sufficient room for his study series, and each Curator feels sure that his 

 department is the one most in need of space. 



Mr. Anthon}' brought back with him about 1,560 specimens, most of 

 them rodents. Among the larger mammals represented are monkeys, 

 peccaries and a spectacled bear and puma. The most important of the 

 mammals from the point of view of interest to science are the primitive 

 marsupial, Coenolestes; the fish-eating rat, which lives along rivers and 

 feeds on small fishes and other aquatic forms of life; and a very large 

 relative of the Guinea Pig or Cavy. The Giant Cavy, of which Mr. 

 Anthony brought back a skin and skeleton, is known only from one or 

 two specimens, and we have very little information as to its habits or 

 distribution. Our newly acquired skull is, so far as known, the onl}' 

 such skull in North America. Previously, this Museum had only a few 

 skin fragments to represent the species. 



Mr. Cherrie brought a little better than 2,200 birds, including very 

 many species which range in size from the humming-l^ird to the eagle. 

 Probably one of the most important groups in this collection is one of 

 bright humming-birds. In addition, there are parroquets, doves, 

 trogons, toucans and others. 



