32 Director's .Uniual Report. 



"Besides short collection trips on Oahu, two visits were made 

 to Molokai during February and March, and one to Maui. Those 

 to Molokai were especially to study the fossil beds along the north- 

 ern shore of the island and if possible to collect representative 

 series from each of the beds. These occur along almost the whole 

 northern coast line from Puukapele to the extreme northwestern 

 point, a distance of about twelve miles as the crow flies. About 

 two miles of coast line have not been visited up to the present time, 

 and some of the localities will have to be searched over again as 

 the recent heavy rains have undoubtedly uncovered new surfaces 

 of the deposits. 



"The trip to Maui was very successful from the collecting 

 standpoint. Of fresh specimens, 7,793 were collected in about 

 three weeks, and in addition 955 fossil shells. 



"Three large series of shells came to the Museum from Hawaii 

 during the year, collected by Messrs. Forbes, Thurston and 

 Gouveia. 



"A number of the fossil shells have to be specially prepared 

 before they can be studied. Shells that are found in earth are 

 boiled in a solution of Pear's soap and syringed. The result is a 

 clean shell which in numerous instances shows the original color 

 pattern. Specimens found in lime sand and earth deposits have 

 to be carefully cleaned with dental tools before they are fit for 

 study. The labor involved in preparing fit museum specimens of 

 fossil material is usually much more than when the specimens 

 are alive. 



"Of the remarkable species turned in during the year I will 

 only mention three or four. Mr. Thurston has discovered a new 

 species of Amastra on the island of Hawaii, which is the largest 

 species of this genus recorded from this island. He also obtained 

 two living typical specimens of Lcptachatina tc7iuicostata Pse., 

 which, so far as I know, are the only typical living examples of 

 this species taken since it was discovered by Pease. 



"Mr. Forbes found a remarkable new species of Sphyradium 

 and one of Kaliella on the island of Hawaii which are entirely 

 unlike any other species from our islands. 



"Mr. Thurston and Mr. Gouveia each found a fragment of a 

 new species of Amastra. Both fragments agree rather closely and 

 the species belongs to the group of Amastra sphccrica. The 



[14.S] 



