48 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 



can zoologist. This collection, one of the finest of its kind, was re- 

 ceived back during the present year from Europe where it was sent 

 many years ago to be monographed by the then leading authority on 

 that group of invertebrate animals. As the vicissitudes of this col- 

 lection point a moral, it may be well in this connection to briefly out- 

 line their history : After negotiations, carried on for several years^ the 

 entire collection of sponges of the National Museum was shipped in 

 1906 to Prof. R. von Lendenfeld, at Prague, Bohemia, to be worked 

 up, as it has been found impossible to find anybody in America 

 capable of undertaking their stud3\ The financing of this enterprise 

 was assumed by the late Dr. Alexander Agassiz, who was greatly 

 interested in the work. A small portion of the collection comprising 

 specimens sent over previously was returned in 1908, and the result of 

 their study published in 1910, In the meantime Doctor Agassiz's 

 financial position required him to withdraw his subsidy for the 

 working uf) of the Museum material, and he died shortly after. The 

 negotiations with von Lendenfeld for the continuation of the work 

 fell through, because the Museum, in spite of the endeavors of Dr. R. 

 Rathbun, the assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 

 charge of the National Museum, was unable to spare the necessary 

 amount from the regular appropriation, and no other financial 

 assistance was obtainable. The proposition to establish a position on 

 the scientific staff of the Museum for the study of sponges and recall 

 the collection was discussed, but liad to be abandoned for lack of 

 means. Prof, von Lendenfeld's death in 1913 caused the renewal of 

 the negotiations with his successor, Prof. E. Trojan, but with no better 

 result. Very reluctantly, and only after all efforts to find a satisfac- 

 tory way had failed. Doctor Rathbun, in June, 1914, ordered the 

 collection to be returned for the purpose of storing it until it should 

 be possible to induce a capable American zoologist to devote himself 

 to the important work of making this remarkable collection accessible 

 to the scientific world. Later the World War broke out and nothing 

 was heard from the collection for more than five j^ears. It was 

 scarcely to be expected that this priceless alcoholic collection, which 

 in all these years had been in the enemies' country, should have es- 

 caped destruction in the general collapse of the Austrian Empire. 

 Great relief was therefore felt when early in 1920 a letter was received 

 from Professor Trojan announcing that he had taken care of the 

 collection during the war, and that it was still intact and in good con- 

 dition. Gratefully recognizing his efforts to preserve the specimens, a . 

 satisfactory arrangement was made with Professor Trojan to have 

 the entire sponge collection packed and returned. It was finally re- 

 ceived after an absence of 15 years. The specimens are here, it is 

 true, but we are not one whit nearer the realization of the aim for 



