EEPORT FOE THE YEAE 1901. 246 



of no less than 6,462 specimens, and comprising, as before stated, 

 878 species. 



In the cases of the Invertebrate Gallery devoted to Conchology, 

 there are now 30,681 specimens of Australasian shells, comprising 

 4,744 species, a large proportion being those of the celebrated 

 "Hargraves" Collection. Elsewhere there are arranged !_8,01 9 

 (850 species) specimens of foreign shells, many of which also 

 formed a part of the same collection. 



By donation, nine thousand nine hundred and sixty-six speci- 

 mens were received in this section; sixty-one by exchange; and 

 six by purchase. 



Invertbbrata (other than Insecta, etc., and Mollusca). 

 (Mr. T. Whitelegge, Assistant-in-Charge). 



"During the past year," says Mr. Whitelegge, "I was chiefly 

 occupied with the elaboration of the Sponges forwarded by the 

 Fishery Commissioners of N. S. Wales and Prof. A. Dendy, D.sc. 

 In addition to preparing the published papers on these, many 

 sections were mounted in Canada balsam for future reference." 



In addition to the ordinary duties of his Section, Mr. White- 

 legge rendered me valuable assistance in working out various 

 obscure fossil forms in connection with my own special line of 

 research. 



Of Prof. Dendy's presentation, Mr. Whitelegge says: — "It con- 

 sists of four hundred and seventy-eight specimens, representing 

 four hundred and sixty-two species, and contains five species 

 enumerated in the 'Catalogue of Sponges in the Australian 

 Museum,' two of which, there described as new, have up to now 

 been wanting in our collection ! Of the two hundred and ninety- 

 five species and varieties described in this 'Catalogue/ one hundred 

 and fifty-six are represented, including eight labelled as portions 

 of types, and many others which are undoubtedly portions of 

 types, now on exhibition in our Gallery. In the 'Zoologische 

 Jahrbuch'for 1887, Dr. R. von Lendenfeld described one hundred 

 and eighty-three species, or varieties, from Australian waters, and 

 of the latter there are in Prof. Dendy's consignment one hundred 

 and forty-four fragments, many of them probably bits of the 

 original types now in the Museum of Natural History, London, 

 notwithstanding that a large proportion of the species are labelled 

 Port Jackson, or from the coast of N. S. Wales." 



In my Report for 1900, I referred to the collection of Sponges 

 received from the Fishery Commissioners, and Mr. Whitelegge's 

 important work in connection therewith. His researches were 

 completed early in 1901, and the results published." The collection 



13 Whitelegge — Report on Sponges from the Coastal Beaches of New 

 South Wales.— Eec. Aust. Mus., ir., 2, 1901, pp. 55 - 118, pis. x. - xv. 



