8 Director'' s Ayimial Report. 



of these lots are sorted, but in a uinnber only the larger speci- 

 mens have been picked out. I estimate that at least two hundred 

 thousand shells are contained in these lots. 



"One of the most important finds of the year was made by 

 Mr. Thaanum in the valley of Waimano, Oahu. It was a pocket 

 of fossil earth, and the whole amount could not have been more 

 than a bushel. Forty-two species of shells were found in this earth 

 and there must have been originally thousands of shells contained 

 in it. Six new species of Endodonta alone were found in this lot. 

 Although some of the species are still found alive in the neighbor- 

 hood of this deposit, the bulk of the species seem to be related 

 more closely to those found at present on the Waianae Range than 

 to those of the Koolau Mountains. 



"The value of working out the species of these fossil beds 

 cannot be overestimated. Dr. Pilsbry has shown, from his study 

 of the Aviastra that there is undoubtedh' a possibility that at one 

 time these islands were joined together. It is the hope of your 

 Curator to carry on this study with the other genera of shells. 

 The finding of these fossil beds, some of which are close to the 

 seashore, proves that at one time the islands were wooded to the 

 sea. Not only this, but by correlating the species of fossil shells 

 found in these beds with the related living species and what is 

 known of their habitats, I feel sure at some time we shall be able 

 to know almost the exact character of the ancient forests which at 

 one time covered these islands. 



"On December 22, Mr. W. M. Giffard kindly presented to the 

 Museum the colledlion of land shells made by his late brother. 

 This collection contains the largest specimen of an (3ahuan tree 

 shell I have ever seen, and also a sinistral specimen of Achatinclla 

 lorata which is, as far as I know, unique. 



"Those from whom gifts have been catalogued are: Mrs. H. 

 Waterhouse ; Misses H. Hatch, A. T. Cooke and C. A. Cooke; 



Messrs. H. x\. Pilsbrv, D. Thaanum, I. Spalding, J. S. Emerson, 



[48] 



