KEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 43 



Takao, Formosa; while a collection of about the same size, par- 

 ticularly rich in eels, from Panama, was received as a gift from Mr. 

 Eobert Tweedlie. 



Almost the entire time of the assistant curator and his assistant 

 was required in caring for and rearranging the collections, and in 

 selecting duplicate material for exchanges. The number of speci- 

 mens bottled, labeled and installed amounted to several thousands 

 through the necessity of separating different species which had been 

 placed promiscuously in storage jars. 



The work of revision and rearrangement begun the previous year 

 by Prof. J. Otterbein Snyder, the eminent ichthyological specialist of 

 Leland Stanford Junior University, was continued until January, 

 but not concluded. As explained in the last report, his services 

 were secured for a complete overhauling and revision of the ichthyo- 

 logical collection, the elimination of specimens not deemed worthy 

 of further preservation, the segregation of the type and other espe- 

 cially valuable specimens, and the setting aside of such material as 

 might be suitable for exchange purposes. Unfortunately Prof. Snyder 

 was obliged to sever his connection with the Museum before this 

 task had been finished, though the most pressing and necessary work 

 was accomplished. It is of extreme importance that some means 

 be found for bringing this matter to a final conclusion, since no other 

 of the natural history collections are more important for economical 

 consideration. 



The assistant curator, Mr. Barton A. Bean, found little time for 

 research work, although collections from Panama and the Eed Sea 

 were identified, and a beginning was made with the fishes from the 

 Tomas Barrera expedition. Dr. Snyder, while engaged upon the re- 

 vision of the collections, was able to make some special investigations, 

 particularly with regard to type specimens and the fish fauna of the 

 so-called Lahontan Basin. Dr. W. C. Kendall, Mr. Lewis Eadcliffe 

 and Mr. W. W. Welsh, of the Bureau of Fisheries, consulted the col- 

 lections in connection with their official work, and a large lot of 

 young and larval fishes was temporarily transferred to that Bureau 

 to facilitate their study. Specimens were also lent to Dr. Snyder, 

 Prof. E. C. Starks and Dr. C. H. Gilbert, all of Leland Stanford 

 Junior University; and to Mr. J. T. Nichols, of the American Mu- 

 seum of Natural History. 



MaHne invertebrates. — As explained on a later page, the two 

 divisions of mollusks and marine invertebrates were consolidated 

 ducing the year under the latter designation. 



For the most notable accessions of the year the division was in- 

 debted to the generosity of Mr. John B. Henderson, who presented a 

 very large collection of selected specimens of mollusks, all in good 

 condition, generally identified and labeled, constituting the most 



