Transcribe Lucas, F. A. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1882-01-23)

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more that the Australian (Pickering) and Singapore^(Bakvian Cooktown) boxes may arrive most any day. As I wrote William and Forrest are in Large Museum & I don't know but what you may have to give up the upper part of the Taxidermist Building entirely to birds and reptiles since they have become so numerous. There is very little change in the way of work since I last wrote. A moderate number of bird skins have come from Cambridge to be mounted and we are now at work on them. Hornaday has got pretty well along with the Gorilla and is going then to work on half time and proceed with his book. J. C. Beard who was one of the Judges at the S. A. L. Ex. is to aid him with the illustrations. In regard to the Xiphoid Whale I feel bound to state in my defense that it </u is > ready to mount and I hoped that it might be taken in place of one of the other Xiphoid's on Prof. Allen's list. By the way just how much did that skeleton cost? Skull of </u Berardius Arnuxi > is at 7 pounds which strikes me as high. The skeleton I presume is </u Epiodon Chathamensis >