iQoo] A National Museum. 151 



recently from Idaho, by Messrs. Pilsbry & Vanatta. [See 

 " Nautilus," Vol. XI, p. 44.] A full account of the g^enus, with 

 fioi'ures and anatomical details of both species, has been published 

 by the last-named authors in the Proceeding-s of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 1898. The paper, with which 

 I suppose most Canadian conchologists are familiar, is entitled, 

 " Revision of the North American Slugs : Bimieya, Hemphillia, 

 Hespej-arion, Prophysaon and Anademclus.'^ For the benefit of 

 those who have not paid much attention to slugs, I may say that 

 the genus HernphiLlia differs from all other genera represented in 

 our fauna in that the mantle has a large opening above (about 

 5x3 mm. in extent) exposing to view nearly the whole of the 

 internal shell. 



Figure No. 75 in Binney's Manual is an accurate representa- 

 tion of our slug as contracted in alcohol, but figure 78 in the same 

 work bears small resemblance to it either alive or dead. 



Nanaimo, B.C., Oct. 15, 1900. 



A NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The recently issued report ot the United States National Museum 

 drawn up by the Acting Assistant Secretary, C. D. Walcott, and 

 containing 246 pages, shows the progress made during the last 

 year. Part I discusses the condition and progress of the Museum 

 itselt, whereas Part II treats of the papers describing and illus- 

 trating the collections of the National Museum. 



Part I is of special interest and gives an idea of the equip- 

 ment of the Museum and staff. The Department of Anthropology 

 alone has seventeen curators and assistants. The Division of 

 Animal Biology has twenty-seven curators and assistants besides 

 three honorary associates. The Division of Plants counts eight 

 curators and assistants, whilst the Division of Geology and 

 Mineralogy numbers eighteen curators and assistants. The 

 Museum authorities consist of a Secretary and Keeper, the Hon. 

 S. P. Langley ; an Assistant Secretary, the Hon. C. D. Walcott, 

 and an Executive Curator, Mr. F. W. True ; besides t 



wo 



