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5.  What special investigations have you commenced, continued, or completed, upon material under your care, during the year?

The Curator's time was very largely occupied with the systematic work on North and Central American birds.  This has formed the subject of a special report elsewhere.

The time from Sept. 1, 1896, to Jan. 1, 1897, was occupied almost exclusively in a rearrangement of the study series contained in the bird gallery, which has been mentioned in detail under no. 3.

The Assistant Curator was engaged at intervals from July 1, to Sept. 1, 1896, in the determination of Dr. W.L. Abbott's collection from East Africa, but this work is still unfinished owing to the mass of routine and miscellaneous work which has since occupied his time.  He has continued the work of preparing a card catalogue of described species of birds, giving references to the original descriptions, type localities, etc.  This will be of immense benefit to the department when completed.

Since the death of Major Bendire early in February, the routine work of the Department of Oölogy has been conducted by this department.

A group of about 250 specimens of Parrots and birds of British Guiana was prepared for the Nashville Exposition.

Mr, Morrison Clark was detailed for work in the department Feb. 1, but was transferred to the Dept of Insects Feb. 17.  He was employed mainly in lining trays with sheets of cotton, and in minor routine work.