EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 127 



latter title. Had there been sufficient funds it would probably have 

 been more advantageous to increase than diminish the number of 

 divisions, or at least to have organized several sections, a course fully 

 warranted by the heterogeneous character of the collections which 

 have been classed under the term marine invertebrates, including, as 

 they have, several classes, and materials from the fresh waters and the 

 land as well as from the sea. The divisions of mollusks and marine 

 invertebrates have obtained their resources from the same or similar 

 sources, their collections have increased to an enormous extent, and 

 their consolidation was the only solution of the problem of securing 

 a closer supervision of the many gi'oups without an increase in the 

 number and expense of the staff. There were also other circum- 

 stances leading to the change, among them the contemplated resig- 

 nation of the executive assistant curator of the division of marine 

 invertebrates. The mollusks remain in charge of Dr. William H. 

 Dall, honorary curator, who has been their sponsor for so many 

 years, with the same assistance as before. The curatorship of the 

 division was assumed by Dr. Paul Bartsch, previously assistant 

 curator of mollusks, and on the same date, October 16, Mr. AV. B. 

 Marshall was promoted from aid to assistant curator. The resigna- 

 tion of Miss M. J. Rathbun, for many years assistant curator of 

 marine invertebrates, who desired to give her entire time to research 

 work, became effective December 31, 1914, and on January 11, follow- 

 ing, she was designated by the Secretary as an associate in zoology. 

 Her position as assistant curator was filled by the appointment on 

 January 1 of Mr. Waldo L. Schmitt, previously a scientific assistant 

 in the Bureau of Fisheries. 



Mr. Paul R. Myers, aid in the division of insects, resigned on 

 August 31, 1914; and Mr. G. P. Van Eseltine, aid in the division of 

 plants, on April 30, 1915. Dr. C. H. T. Townsend, of the Bureau of 

 Entomology, was designated honorary custodian of muscoid diptera 

 on January 22, 1915. Prof. John O. Snyder, of Leland Stanford 

 Junior University, who was engaged as expert ichthyologist in a re- 

 vision of the large collection of fishes, was obliged to leave on De- 

 cember 31, 1914, to take up his college duties, after a year spent in 

 Washington to the great advantage of the Museum. Mr. George 

 de S. Canavarro, of the Forest Service, was appointed assistant cura- 

 tor of the section of wood technology on June 11, 1915, from which 

 date this branch of the Museum's activities has been specifically 

 recognized ; and on January 1, the title of the superintendent of con- 

 struction and labor, Mr. J. S. Goldsmith, was changed to superin- 

 tendent of buildings and labor. 



During the year the Museum staff suffered the loss of two of its 

 distinguished members. Dr. Theodore N. Gill, deceased on September 

 25, 1914, and Dr. Albert C. Peale, who died on December 5, 1914. 



