250 Field Museum of Natural History — Reports, Vol. V. 



Fox Lake; Winter Bird Life of Northern Illinois, and Ruffed Grouse in 

 its Siininier Home. The several animals for the group of American Bison 

 provided through the generosity of Mr. Arthur B. Jones and mentioned 

 in a former report, were mounted during the year; but owing to the 

 large size of the group and the difficulty of obtaining a proper case for 

 it, the final installation was postponed until after removal to the new 

 building. Therefore the animals, mounted on movable bases, have been 

 temporarily placed on exhibition without backgroimd or accessories in a 

 large case in the Rotunda of the Museimi. Additions to the synoptic 

 exhibition of mammals have been few, the most important being a large 

 male specimen of the extraordinary baboon known as the Mandrill. 

 Work has progressed on accessory material for projected groups of 

 large mammals, especially that of the Olympic Elk, for which the painted 

 background and the specimens of the animals have been in hand for 

 some time. The exhibition work of the Division of Ichthyology and 

 Herpetology was almost wholly of a preparatory character, it being 

 considered unwise to install new material prior to the time of moving. 

 Three snakes (two rattle-snakes and one fox snake) , moimted on sanded 

 bases, were the only specimens placed on exhibition during the year. A 

 few 'fishes already on exhibition were remounted for more effective dis- 

 play. All of the sixty food and game fishes of the Mississippi River, 

 obtained by a Musetmi Expedition in 19 17, were mounted. After con- 

 siderable planning and experimenting, a type of habitat group for small 

 fishes was developed which promises gratifying results. :A sample 

 group which has been prepared shows an excellent sub-aquatic effect, an 

 improvement on groups previously prepared. This group is installed in 

 one of the rectangular glass jars originally designed for the display of 

 fishes in fluid, a practice which has proved by experience in both this 

 Museum and elsewhere to be unsuccessful. By using the type of habitat 

 group mentioned above, seventy-two of the more important of the 

 smaller local fishes can attractively be displayed in their proper en- 

 vironmental setting, in the two twelve-foot cases now utilized for the 

 unsatisfactory exhibition of fishes in fluid. In addition to the actual 

 work outlined above, the whole fish exhibit plans for the new Museinn 

 have received further consideration. The nimiber of cases to be used, 

 and to a large degree the detailed contents of each case, have been de- 

 cided upon. The replacing of the old bottles of varied sorts now used in 

 the collection of the Division with a more uniform and more economical 

 type of specimen jar has been continued. The supply of such jars pur- 

 chased in 191 7 having been largely absorbed in the collection, a new 

 order for 97 dozen jars of appropriate sizes was placed and filled. The 

 most noteworthy work to which the Division of Entomology was de- 



