560 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1893. 
specimens or collections as had been temporarily removed or were 
stored away so as to be inaccessible to the student. 
As a result most of the collections are now in an excellent state of 
preservation. 
Lack of space has prevented the proper systematic arrange¬ 
ment of the specimens and in many cases has necessitated the crowd¬ 
ing of the collections to a degree entirely inconsistent with their 
proper display. This state of affairs has continually been an obstacle 
in the way of the work of the Curators for many years past, but 
will now very soon be remedied by the opening of the new museum 
building which will furnish ample space for the proper display of 
the various collections. 
During the past year, although no general rearrangement of the 
collections was possible, a slight change has been made in the posi¬ 
tion of some of the cases on the lower floor of the museum and by this 
means many of the specimens have been displayed to much better 
advantage. 
The collection of fossil fishes has been removed from the upright 
cases and a series of typical specimens displayed in the flat table 
cases, while the remainder have been arranged in glass-covered 
drawers immediately beneath, where they are readily accessible for 
study. 
By this arrangement two large upright cases have been made 
available for the display of the additions to the mounted collection 
of mammals. A handsome case presented by the Women’s Silk 
Culture Association has been used for the same purpose. 
A great deal of important work has been accomplished in the or¬ 
nithological department during the year. Almost the entire 
mounted collection of water birds, numbering about 2,000 specimens, 
has been thoroughly gone over and all desirable specimens re¬ 
mounted and renovated, while many of the duplicates and un¬ 
sightly specimens have been unmounted and arranged in drawers 
with the study series of skins. 
This work has immensely improved the appearance of the col¬ 
lection and will ensure the preservation of the specimens for many 
years to come. 
A more detailed account of the work in this department will be 
found in the report of the Ornithological Section. 
Mr. McCadden, the taxidermist of the Academy, in addition to 
