1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 81- 



[ The officers elected for the following year are as follows: 



Director J- Cheston Morris. M.D. 



Vice-Director, . . • • T. Chalkley Palmer. 



Conservator, . ■ ■ ■ • t • J • Iveelej . 



Recorder. C. S. Boyer. 



Corresponding Secretarij, . ■ f^- L. Schunio. 



Treasurer, Thomas 8. Stewart. M.D. 



Charles S. Boyer, 



Recorder. 



CoXfHOLOGICAL SECTION. 



The Conservator respectfully reports that the increase of the col- 

 lection during the year has been very satisfactory, as shown by the 

 list of accessions to the Museum. The general condition of the cabinet 

 is practicallv unchanged from last year, and no substantial improve- 

 ments in the arrangement of material can be made until more cases 

 are supplied. As it does not seem desirable to enlarge our exhibition 

 series of shells, it is recommended that a number of cases in the form 

 of stacks, and about as high as the cases in the library, ])e built to 

 contain series which it is not advisable to exhibit, either from the small 

 size of the shells, the external uniformity of large numbers of species, 

 or other reasons. These stacks may be placed in an enclosed space 

 on the upper gallery or, better, on the lower floor of the Museum. 



In March and April of this year the Conservator made a conchologi- 

 cal reconnaissance of portions of the Ozark uplift in western Arkansas 

 and Indian Territorv, and of western Texas. The collection made 

 comprises aliout 660 lots of mollusks, 163 reptiles of 34 species. 300 

 sheets of plants, and small collections of fossils, fishes, etc. It is be- 

 lieved that this collection adds materially to our knowledge of the 

 mollusks of the Southwest. The study of this material is not yet 



completed. 



Other collections worked upon during the year have been received 

 from Mr. Hirase, including a large number of new species and affording 

 a great mass of valuable' zoogeographic data. A collection obtained 

 l)y !klr. Clarence B. Moore in western Florida, reported on by I\Ir. 

 Vanatta, adds considerable to our knowledge of the molluscan 

 fauna of the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Many smaller acces- 

 sions have also been determined and reported upon. 



The Conservator has completed systematic studies on the families 



