tic series during the year are many of unusual interest from the southeastern United States, such as the large soft-shelled turtle, the Florida terrapin, the Florida box turtle, the green tree snake, the diamond-back rattler, the southern pigmy rattler, the cotton-mouth, the coral snake and the scarlet king snake. Thus some of the most interesting species of North America are presented in their race relationships, supplementing their ecological relationships set forth in the Florida group.

and Research

There has been much satisfactory progress on the study collections of the department. A complete checking up and reidentification have been made of all the lizards Collections of the collection and of all specimens of North American poisonous snakes. The collection of Desmognathus was studied and reidentified by Mr. Dunn during his recent revision of the genus. The same work has been done for the genus Plestiodon by Mr. Karl P. Schmidt. The amphisbænians of the collections have passed through the hands of Dr. Leonhard Stejneger in a study for the revision of the family.

The reference catalogue for reptiles has been completed to date, and a new locality catalogue has been instituted. The continual routine work of accessioning, cataloguing and identifying new material has been carried on. The storage collection of dry material has been recatalogued and placed on its permanent shelves. Work has been continued on the bibliography catalogue. In this connection the department library has accessioned some 300 additional separates, gifts of the herpetology departments in the various museums of the world.

A preliminary survey of the Congo collection reports 1,362 specimens of lizards (40 species, several new to science), and 804 specimens of snakes (70 species, a small proportion new). The collection affords large series, especially among the skinks, which will be of great value in defining species hitherto known from relatively few specimens. Mr. Karl P. Schmidt, of Cornell University, will work especially on the Congo collection of reptiles. Mr. Dunn has already completed his paper on the North Carolina collections made in the summer, which

DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALOGY.-YOUNG BULL ELEPHANT

One of the specimens of the African Elephant Group for the proposed African Hall which is being prepared by method in taxidermy

Mr. Carl E. Akeley. This is a successful demonstration of a new

will be ready for publication as soon as the drawings are completed.

MAMMALS AND BIRDS

Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology

J. A. ALLEN, Curator

The activities of this department during the year 1916 have not been exceeded in importance by those of any other year in its history, although some previous years have witnessed greater increase in its material.

The additions to the mammal collection comprise 1,016 much needed specimens from Oregon and Washington, added by purchase; nearly 400 specimens from South Accessions America, mostly from Argentina, collected by Messrs. Leo E. Miller and Howarth S. Boyle, in continuation of the South American exploration work under the direction of Curator Chapman; about 500 bats and an important collection of fossil mammal material, collected by Assistant H. E. Anthony in the island of Porto Rico; about 200 mammals from western China, collected by Messrs. Andrews and Heller, forming the first consignment from the Asiatic Zoological Expedition of the American Museum, under the leadership of Assistant Curator Andrews. As usual, valuable specimens have been received in the flesh from the New York Zoological Society and the Department of Parks, among which may be mentioned a Siberian tiger, an ibex, two muskoxen, and several kangaroos (skins and skeletons of each) received from the Zoological Society. Among the more important accessions by gift are a Chillingham wild white bull, from the Hon. Walter Winans; an albino Virginia deer, presented by Archibald Harrison; a skin and skeleton of a moose from Ontario, Canada (collected by Assistant Anthony), presented by the Hon. George Shiras, 3d. Our thanks are also due to Brother Apolinar Maria for further very desirable specimens from the vicinity of Bogotá, Colombia.

The accessions to the bird collection comprise approximately

9,000 specimens, of which about 7,000 are from South America, about 400 from China, and the remainder from various sources, fully nine tenths of the whole having been received through Museum expeditions.

Installations

Four habitat groups of mammals have been placed on exhibition during the year, as follows: Black-tailed Jack-rabbit Group, Pack-rat Group, Rocky Mountain Goat Group, Colobus Monkey Group. A Red Howler (monkey) Group is nearly completed, and the Virginia Deer Group is well under way. A Night-hawk Group, a Domestic Pigeon Group and about 80 miscellaneous mounted specimens have been added to the exhibition series of birds.

Study
Collections

A great event of the year is the provision of additional storage room for both birds and mammals. The preparation of space for the reception of a large number of metal storage cases of the best modern type has necessarily thrown both collections into more or less confusion, which has been extended over a much longer period than was anticipated, as the contractors were unable to deliver the cases at the stipulated time. A part, however, have now been received and the rest doubtless will soon be delivered. Besides the addition of the new storage cases for the mammals, small cardboard boxes and trays are being provided for the skulls and skeletons of the small and medium-sized mammals, not only more effectually to protect them from dust but to prevent loss of parts in the ease of disarticulated skeletons.

The cataloguing of both collections is well up to date, as is also the index catalogue of the mammals, great progress with the latter having been made during the last year. It is now expected that within the next few months the mammal collection will be placed in much safer condition than heretofore and that the osteological material will become, for the first time in the history of the department, conveniently available.

During the early part of the year, the Congo collection, received late in 1915, was unpacked and the specimens dis