1894.] NATURAL, SCIKNCKS OF PHILADELPHIA. 471 



been obtained, full accounts of which will be published in the near 

 future. 



The museum during the year has furnished aid to many specialists 

 who have been offered every facility within the power of the Curators, 

 while the interest of the general public in the exhibits would appear 

 to be greatly stimulated. This is largely due to the custom inaugu- 

 rated during the past year, of placing new and attractive specimens 

 in a prominent place on the main floor of the museum for some days 

 before putting them in their final positions, as well as to many popu- 

 lar articles which have appeared in our daily papers. 



Specimens have been loaned during the year to Mr. T. Wayland 

 Vaughan, Dr. AVm. H. Dall, Austin C. Apgar, B. W. Evermanu, 

 Prof Jas. Hall, Messrs. F. W. True, F. M. Chapman, C. W. Rich- 

 mond, and Dr. Geo. Bauer. 



The departments of botany and entomology have been under the 

 care of the special conservators, Mr. John H. Redfield and Dr. Henry 

 Skinner respectively, to whom the Curators are indebted for their 

 valuable aid. Acknowledgment is also due to Mr. W. W. Jefferis, 

 Curator of the Vaux Collections, and Messrs. Shultz, Boyer, and 

 Woolmau who have done valuable work in classifying and labeling 

 the collection of diatoms. 



The unusual progress thus recorded is largely owing to the earnest- 

 ness and fidelity manifested by the assistants, Messrs. Witmer Stone 

 and Samuel N. Rhoads, Mr. D. N. McCaddeu, taxidermist, and the 

 Jessup Fund students, Messrs. J. E. Richardson, Howard Y. Pen- 

 nell and Henry W. Fowler. 



Samuel G. Dixon, 



Curator-in-charge. 



REPORT OF BIOLOGICAL AND MICROSCOPICAL 



SECTION. 



During the year nine regular meetings of the Section have been 

 held, at which communications were made and microscopic slides 

 exhibited. 



Among the communications of special interest were those of Dr. 

 B. Sharp, on his expedition to Hawaii and on the fertilization of 



