226 KEPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



illustratiug tbe striitigrapliic aud geograi)liic distribution of life during 

 paleozoic time. 



There is at present quite a large amount of material transferred from 

 the ( Seological Survey that can be placed on exhibition as soon as cases 

 are prepared to receive it. 



A list of the publications which appeared during the year, and which 

 were based on material in the collection, will be found in Part iv. 



The systematic collection of Cambrian fossils, commenced in 1884, 

 together with the formation of a collectioji of material from the typical 

 localities of Lower Silurian and ])evonian fossils, has advanced, aiul 

 large collections have been made as the means available permitted. If 

 this can be continued, there is, in the near future, the prospect of large 

 increase to the collections of the Museum. The direct field-work of the 

 geologists of the Geological Survey will also add to the collection as 

 soon as the material is studied and turned over to the Museum. 



Other sources of increase will be from the accessions by exchange 

 and the contributions made by individuals. I think the latter source 

 of increase will enlarge when a portion of the collection is placed on 

 exhibition and j^arties interested know that attention will be given to 

 the care of their contributions. 



With all of the above, there is still a source of increase that can only 

 be made available by the use of a collecting and purchasing fund. 

 There are localities that can not bo i^roperly visited and collections made 

 by the ofQcers of the Geological Survey. On the northern border of [ho. 

 United States, in Canada, New Brunswick, and even in ISTewfoundlaud, 

 it is essential that collections should be (>btained for comparative 

 study. 



It frequently occurs that individuals who have given years to col- 

 lecting in some locality desire to sell their collections at a relatively 

 small cost as compared with the expense of collecting. When such 

 collections will fill gaps in the collections of the Museum it is very desir- 

 able, if the Museum is to take a high position in this department, that 

 they should be secured. 



The American Museum of Natural History, in New York City paid 

 $()5,000 for the Hall collection, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 of Cambridge, Mass., has purchased large collections of Paleozoic; Ibs- 

 sils. The National Museum does not need to make such large out- 

 lays, of money, but a comparatively small sum, available each year, 

 would, with other sources of increase, give a collection worthy of the 

 Museum. 



The collections are now arranged in sixteen table cases in the south- 

 east court of the Museum. With the exception of writing out the labels 

 in four of the cases, and the addition of the material from accessions, 

 no changes have been made since the last annual report of this depart- 

 ment was submitted. The number of specimens was given then as 

 follows : 



