BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 203 



received from Mr. John Cummiugs in exchange. The European specimens at this time 

 numbered 13,655. 



The aggregate of the several collections of the Department was as shown by the follow- 

 ing table : 



2770 5834 22236 



The Custodian in referring to the fact that the laborious work of the arrangement and 

 cataloguing of the Palaeontological collections was finished, jvistly ascribed, not only the 

 magnitude of these to the great liberality of Mr. John Cuinmings, but also their condition, 

 which was attributable entirely to the valuable services of tlie two assistants employed by 

 him. 



In the Botanical department, the work of sorting the duplicates and supplying the 

 deficiencies in the general collection had steadily progressed under the direction of 

 Mr. Cummings. The specimens of wood, fruit, etc., on exhibition had been catalogued, 

 mounted on tablets, and labelled by Miss Carter. They numbered 2583 specimens, repre- 

 senting 304 genera, and 492 species. To Mr. Clias.' J. Sprague this dej^artment was indebted 

 for 250 specimens of dried plants from Florida, collected by Mr. A. H. Curtiss, and for 50 

 rare New England species, collected by Mr. C. J. Pringle, of Vermont. Mr. E. T. Bouve 

 had continued his work on the trees and shrubs of New England, and added a number of 

 species to the collection. 



In the Anatomical department, a new section had been established. In this sec- 

 tion had been brought together preparations made by Mr. Van Vleck, exhibiting the 

 general anatomy of the invertebrates and the typical forms of the different sub-divisions 

 of the animal kingdom. 



The New England collection of Birds had been considerably increased through the 

 exertions of Dr. Brewer, thirty to forty species having been added. 



The Entomological department had received several important donations, one from 

 Mr. F. C. Bowditch, of useful insects of all orders ; another from Dr. C. S. Minot of his 

 entire collection of insects, containing very desirable additions to the New England col- 

 lection. A part also of a collection made by the late Mr. Gurdon Saltonstall had been 

 received from his family, and several valuable specimens of which the Society stood in 

 need from Mr. -Roland Thaxter. 



The remarks of the Custodian upoii the other collections do not call for repetition. 



In tlie Laboratory there had been much activity. The room and the collections had 

 been used for the past year by a class in Zoology and Palaeontology from the Mass. Insti- 

 tute of Technology ; one in Zoology, from Boston University ; and one in Zoology com- 

 posed of the teachers of the Boston High Schools. This last class was particularly men- 

 tioned in the report of the previous year. The course of instruction had been prolonged 

 and was not yet quite finished. 



