19 
The Society bas always given especial attention to the 
collecting of North American reptiles, and some measure 
of its success may be found in the statement that much of 
the time of the Secretary was occupied during the year, in 
preparing for publication a systematic work on the snakes 
of the United States, a large part of the basis for which was 
the collections made by the Society during the past twenty- 
five years, and it was found that of one hundred and thirty- 
one species and subspecies recognized in that work, eighty* 
six have been represented by living specimens in the 
Gardens. Of the forty-five which we have not yet suceeded 
in obtaining, the larger proportion are of remote and lim- 
ited distribution — more than one-half of them being known 
only from a few alcoholic specimens scattered in various 
museums. Nineteen species of other authors, not recog- 
nized in the work here referred to, have also been shown in 
this collection. 
For the gifts which have been made during the year 
the Board tenders its grateful acknowledgments. 
By order of the Board, 
ARTHUR ERWIN BROWN, 
Secrdary. 
