REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 21 



DEPARTMENT OF IN VEU IKIJIiATH FOSSILS (PuloOZOic). 



This ilepartmeut is uuder the charge of IVIr. C. 13. Walcott, of the U. 

 S. Geolo<;ical Survey. The collection now inclndes over 80,000 speci- 

 mens, of which perhaps one-third has been transferred by the U. S. 

 Geological Survey to the Museum. During his connection with the 

 Museum Mr. Walcott has thoroughly arranged this material. A very 

 interesting series has been selected for exhibition, although up to the 

 present time it has been impracticable to place any material upon view. 



The curator has been engaged in a special research, in behalf of the 

 U. S. Geological Survey, upou the stratigraphy and i)aheontology of 

 the Cambrian system of North America. 



Prior to the year 1884 the increase in the material of this depart- 

 ment had been irregular, owing to the lack of time and means at the dis- 

 posal of the curator; during that year, however, Mr. Walcott intro- 

 duced a thorough system of classification, and began the formation of a 

 systematic collection of Cambrian fossils. 



PEPARTMENT OF INVEUTEIJRATE FOSSILS (MrSOZoic). 



The principal accessions to the collection have been those received 

 from the U. S. Geological Survey. The curator, Dr. C. A. White, re- 

 ports that a total number of 1,503 entries were made in the catalogue 

 during the year. Among the accessions of special interest was a col- 

 lection of Cretaceous fossils from Mexico, aiul another of Lower Creta- 

 ceous and Jurassic from France. The total number of specimens in the 

 collection at present is 09,742. 



Steady progress has been made in the work of arrangement and 

 classification ; and the collection is now accessible for purposes of study. 

 The provisional arrangement which has been adopted, is })urely strati- 

 graphical; though a broad biological classification nnder each geological 

 period has been attempted. JVIr. J. B. Marcou has re-identified all the 

 type specimens, and has published a catalogue of these in the Proceed- 

 ings of the Museum.* 



DEPARTMENT OF INVEPvTEP.RATE FOSSILS (CoUOZOic.) 



Since the transfer of Mr. W. II. Dall from ihe Coast Survey to the 

 U. S. Geological Survey, in which he is now serving as paheontologist 

 in charge of the later formations, this department has been organirced. 

 It is, however, really inseparable from the department of mollnsks, of 

 which ]\Ir. Dall has long been curator. 



DIVISION OF I'.OTANY. 



DEPARTMENT OF FOSSIL AND RECENT PLANTS. 



The attention of the curator of these two departments. Prof. Lester 

 F. Ward, of tbe Geological Survey, has been directed chiefly toward 

 the study of the fossil plants: his sketch of the history and present 



*rroc. U. S. Nat. Wii.s., viii, 18-:"), j))). 21)0-344. 



