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4.  INDICATED BRIEFLY THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE EXHIBITION SERIES AND THE STUDY SERIES, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.

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The general condition of the collections as a whole is more satisfactory than it has ever been, but there is still much to do.

In the exhibition-series the general average of taxidermy [[strikethrough]]is[[/strikethrough]] regards excellence is high, but there are still many striking deficiencies.  For example, there is not a single good Fruit-bat (the largest & most striking bats of the order) on exhibition & the representation of the Chiroptera in general is very inadequate.  The same may be said of the Insectivora.  Many of the smaller Rodents are very badly mounted.  More & better specimens of deer are needed.

The small force of taxidermists is not able to accomplish a great deal, especially in the way of mounted large species.  There is in the vats, for example, a skin of a large Asiatic elephant, which would make an excellent exhibit, if mounted.  It would take the present force about six months, however, to do the work properly.

The study-series is almost entirely under control, so that it does not suffer damage from year to year.  It contains, however, a very large proportion of skins collected in earlier years, which are almost valueless because they [[strikethrough]]are[[/strikethrough]] were so imperfectly prepared. A large amount of taxidermic work is necessary to make them available for study. Many really valuable specimens are in this condition.

The skulls (which are nominally in the Dep't of Comp. Anatomy but are cared for by the Curator of Mammals) greatly need re-arrangement, bottling, etc. and [[underline]]especially to have loose teeth & other parts made fast[[/underline]].  A thorough overhauling would probably occupy one person six months.  [[underline]]It is a great need[[/underline]].
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