islands made it appear highly probable that some land vertebrates formerly existed there, and the geology indicated that caves probably existed similar to those in Porto Rico and Cuba from which Mr. Anthony had secured such large and interesting collections of fossil mammals, and that they might also yield fossils. Preliminary reports from Mr. Anthony leave us no doubt that this forecast has been verified, but the extent and character of the collections remain to be seen. The character of this fauna will be studied with particular interest, as it should throw further light on the source of the fauna and the manner of its arrival on the islands. The geology of the West Indies indicates that the most probable locus for a mainland connection, if the fauna arrived in that manner, is by way of Haiti, Jamaica and Honduras. Obviously if the animals did arrive in that manner, the fauna of Jamaica ought to be more like that of the mainland than those of any of the other islands more continental in type. On the other hand, if the animals, or rather their ancestors, arrived on the islands through the agency of storms, floating vegetation or other accidents of oversea transportation, without the aid of any continuous land bridge, then Jamaica, as a rather small and isolated island, should have a more scanty and insular fauna than the larger and more central islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, perhaps even more so than Porto Rico.

A partial skeleton of a small pterodactyl, or flying reptile, from the Cretaceous chalk beds of Kansas, was purchased from the discoverer, Mr. C. H. Sternberg. Another interesting specimen purchased from Mr. Sternberg is the hinder half of the skeleton of the gigantic extinct bear, Arctotherium, from the Rock Creek beds of Texas. The bones are finely preserved, and considerably larger than the corresponding parts of the great Alaskan Brown Bears.

Steady progress has been made in revising and rearranging the storage collections of fossil mammals in charge of Associate Curator Granger. Various specimens and casts in the Warren Collection, most of them without any records of their identity or locality, were identified through published figures, references or other

Cataloguing and Storage

means by which it was possible to recognize them with certainty, and were duly catalogued, numbered and fully recorded in the department catalogue. Their value was thus greatly enhanced. The routine of cataloguing, labeling, relabeling and rearranging collections for more convenient reference or saving of space has been carried forward as usual.

The preparation of the Alberta dinosaur collections was continued with vigor, and considerable progress was made.

Preparation

and

Exhibition

The fine carnivorous dinosaur skeleton secured from Mr. Sternberg in 1918 has been mounted as a panel in an interesting and characteristic pose, contrasting with the skeleton of a larger species finished a year ago, which is also mounted as a panel, but placed substantially in its position as found in the rock. Two other skeletons of large carnivorous dinosaurs from Alberta are in course of preparation, one planned as an "open mount," the other as a panel. A partial skeleton of Palaeoscincus, showing the bony armor of the neck and forequarters in place behind the skull, has been further prepared but not yet completed; this is a very difficult specimen but highly instructive as to the body armor of the Armored Dinosaurs.

A mounted skeleton of Moschops, a large and very remarkable reptile from the ancient Permian Karroo formation of South Africa, has been placed on exhibition, temporarily installed in the Hall of the Age of Mammals, near the entrance. This is a very

Extinct
Reptiles

strange and odd-looking reptile, with short tail and small hindquarters, and a very short, deep, massive head, suggesting that of the muskox to which its scientific name alludes; but the proportions and pose of the body and legs carry more suggestion of the walrus, squat, massive, clumsy-looking, and disproportionately small behind. It should command respect, however, on account of its great antiquity, for it belongs to the Permian period of the Palæozoic, before the dawn of the Age of Reptiles.

A skeleton of Pteranodon, the giant Flying Reptile, has been mounted and placed on the wall of the corridor diag

onally across from the elevator. This specimen was purchased from the finder, Handel T. Martin, and comes from the Cretaceous chalk formation of western Kansas, like the adjoining skeletons on the wall, the great marine lizard Tylosaurus below it, and the great fish Portheus above it. The missing parts are painted in on the chalky background, and the supposed outlines of the wing membranes are restored in a very light tint. This skeleton is believed to be the first original skeleton of Pteranodon to be placed on exhibition in an American museum; but there has been one (also found by Mr. Martin) in the British Museum for some years past.

The collections from the Pleistocene of Cuba obtained by Mr. Brown's expedition in 1918 have been fully prepared for study; also those obtained by Mr. Thomson in the same year at the Snake Creek fossil locality in western Nebraska.

Extinct
Mammals

Considerable preparation work was done upon Eocene and Paleocene mammals during the year, chiefly upon small and delicate specimens of much scientific importance but of no great exhibition value. Various specimens of fossil crocodiles, of oreodonts and of proboscideans were cleaned and prepared, mostly for study purposes. A much crushed skull of Elephas columbi was prepared and placed on exhibition, and a number of casts of Siwalik proboscideans were mounted on panels in the exhibition cases. The mounting of a skeleton of the primitive mastodon Trilophodon is under way. Other additions are completed or in progress to the series of extinct elephants and mastodons, which is one of the finest features of the Museum's exhibits of fossil vertebrates.

The restoration of the crushed skeleton of the giant bird Diatryma has been undertaken in order to make an articulated mount of the specimen. The most difficult and puzzling part of it, the skull, has been satisfactorily reconstructed; no very serious difficulties are expected in the rebuilding of the remainder of the skeleton.