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personal favor, by Mr. W. C. Weeden, in addition to his duties as Assistant Engineer, the department of living animals would have suffered very serious embarrassment, and the curator gladly acknowledges the value and gratifying nature of the services thus rendered from February to the close of the fiscal year.

In the month of April, a fine pair of buffaloes a bull four years of age and a three-year-old cow, then on a cattle ranch in Nebraska,-were purchased by Mr. E. G. Blackford, of New York, and presented to the National Museum as the nucleus of small herd.  This very valuable gift was gladly accepted,and Mr. Joseph Palmer was despatched to North Platte Nebraska, to take charge of the animals, and bring them safely to Washington.  This difficult task was accomplished with gratifying success and economy, and the two highly prized specimens reached the Institution in fine condition on May 10.  In anticipation of their wants, and to provide good accommodations for the four deer then in the collection, a small barn with several yards around it had been