140 Field Museum of Natural History — Reports, Vol. III. 



of suitable accommodations for an increasing number of maps and 

 atlases was obtained by constructing a map case 2 by 2 by 5 feet 

 in dimension, with 10 sliding shelves. This has also been placed in 

 the Department library. A case of drawers, also constructed for 

 the office, provides storage for labels, minor supplies, etc. The 

 capacity of the storage room proper was increased by the provision 

 of about 120 feet of plank shelving. In the paleontological labora- 

 tory, a gratifying amount of material was cleaned from the matrix 

 and made ready for installation. The material so prepared was as 

 follows: A complete skeleton of Promerycochaerus, two complete 

 skulls and a number of partial skeletons of individuals of the same 

 genus; complete skulls of Merycochcerus, Hyracodon and Leptau- 

 chenia; incomplete skulls of Amphicyon, Procamelus and Hycsnondon 

 and an almost complete skeleton of an undetermined carnivore. In 

 addition, the material in storage was carefully gone over, and all 

 field packages which showed signs of having become loosened were 

 replastered. This was especially necessary for packages which had 

 been shipped from the field encased only in paste, as had sometimes 

 been required by the exigencies of field work. 



The work on the Illinois birds and eggs has been pushed and with 

 the exception of several special groups, is almost completed. Over 200 

 birds have been prepared for exhibition, and the mounted collections 

 in Halls 25 and 26 have been rearranged. A new idea in exhibiting 

 fishes has been developed, a case designed, and the glass tanks to be 

 utilized therein ordered from abroad, and which are expected within a 

 short time. This installation is looked forward to with much interest, 

 being somewhat of a change from previous methods. One of the 

 illustrations of this report presents the latest experimental stage of 

 this departure. In the Division of Entomology, the butterflies have 

 been transferred and relabeled. During the year 680 skulls have been 

 cleaned and returned to the study collection, and 16 ligamentary 

 skeletons have been cleaned and mounted. 



In the Department of Botany, during the year, all of the original 

 exposed installation in the galleries of the South Court, and a part 

 of that in those of the West Court, have been taken down, and the 

 specimens cleaned and readjusted for installation in new cases. New 

 case installation has been accomplished as follows: To the Grass 

 Family has been added a half case illustrating the use of a large 

 number of gramineous roots and fibers; a full case illustrating the 

 Oats of the world, and another the Sorghums, Millets, and various odd 



