Annual Report of Zoological Museum

The annual report of the Museum of Comparative Zoology to the President and Fellows of Harvard College has been issued by Mr. Samuel Henshaw h.'03, curator.

The establishment of the Seismographic Station in the Department of Geology has been of scientific and practical import. At first much difficulty was experienced by the rusting of important wires, which support the pendulum, thus making the arrangements for measuring the exact time of the earthquakes unsatisfactory. After June 1, 1909, the records proved more satisfactory. The most important shock recorded was that at Acapulco, Mexico, on July 30.

Many additions to the collections were made during the year. J. E. Thayer '85 and O. Bangs added a fine collection of birds, amounting to nearly 2400 skins of some 200 types, to the department of mammals which was started by O. and E. A. Bangs '84 in 1900. Mr. Thayer also gave a number of mounted birds, some interesting albinos, a considerable series of mammals, birds and reptiles from Lower California, and a large collection of vertebrates and insects from central and western China. Mr. Zappay who has arranged to accompany an expedition to China during the coming year obtained some 7000 or 8000 specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and insects. The collection of Dr. S. Merrill, gathered by him in Palestine was given to the Museum shortly before his death. From Miss Cornelia Prime were received copper plates and original blocks, together with other memorabilia, which were used by her brother, the late Temple Prime L.'53, an authority on fresh-water shells. A series of 500 specimens of butterflies and moths is the gift of J. L. Gardner '58. This includes many species of great beauty and rarity from tropical America, Africa, India, Australia, and the East Indies.

Other important additions are: a large series of reptiles, amphibians, and two forms of Peripatus from T. Barbour; a collection of reptiles from the New York Zoological Society; first series of duplicates of the Mollusca and Brachiopoda of the Albatros expeditions of 1891, and 1904-1905, and a set of Pacific sponges from the U. S. National Museum; specimens of Icelandic birds and birds' eggs from J. W. Hastings and L. J. de Milhau; additional gifts of type specimens of jumping spiders from Dr. G. W. Peckham, Mrs. E. G. Peckham, and J. H. Carter; mammals and birds from Mexico from Dr. W. L. Smith M.'92.

The following valuable specimens have been purchased by the Museum from R. Ward; adult male and female California elephant seals; adult male, with mounted skeleton, of pigmy hippopotamus from Mauwa River, Liberia; wild male Bengal tiger from Kuch Behar, northeastern India.

For the permanent maintenance of a summer course in geological field work in the Rocky Mountains an anonymous gift of $5000 is reported by Professor W. M. Davis '69. The library of the Museum reports the addition of 1097 volumes, 2007 parts of volumes, and 1542 pamphlets. This makes the total number of volumes 45,655, and of pamphlets 41,808.