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stop to the making of exchanges or distribution of duplicates. Indeed it may truly be said that no other need of the Department of Birds can be compared in importance or urgency with that of suitable cases for the skin collection.

The number of specimens in the bird collection at the end of June, 1889, can be only approximately stated, but the following careful estimate is believed to be very nearly correct. 

[[5 column table]]
 | 1887-'88 | 1888-'89 | Increase | Decrease
Reserve skin series | 43454 | 45450 | 996 | --- | 
Duplicate " "[[ditto for skin series]] |  6609  | 6756 | 147 | --- |
Exhibition " [[ditto for series]] | 6421 | 6768* | 347 | --- |
Total | 56484 | 58974 | 1490 |   |
[[/table]]

*/ An actual count of the exhibition collection since the above estimate shows a total of 6714 specimens.