138 



JlEPORT ON NATIONAL MtfgEtfM. 



erally in a pitiable eondition. Dust-incumbered,motli-eaten, rigid and brittle from 

 age, gnawed by rats and mice, tliey are a solemn warning against the attempt to 

 illustrate species by such means. I have only too gladly obeyed my instructions to 

 destroy all such material unless, for some reason or other, it is necessary to keep it in 

 the collection. Hereafter nothing but types or examples from localities of especial 

 interest will tax our efforts to preserve them, and, whenever possible, these skins 

 will be put in glass jars. 



During the first ten months of the year Mr. H. L. Todd executed 93 

 drawings of fishes under the direction of the curator. These are in 

 continuation of the series of drawings of the fishes of North America 

 begun five years ago, the number of which has now extended to 665. 

 These drawings are prepared especially for reproduction by the photo- 

 relief process, and are exceedingly fine, thorough scientific accuracy of 

 detail having been secured through the supervision of Dr. Bean, who 

 has devoted much time to the examination, measurement, and criticism 

 of each drawing. 



During the year 88 papers, written by 22 persons, as shown in the 

 following list, were prepared with special reference to specimens in this 

 department. 



Baird, Prof. S.F 



Bean, Dr. T. H 



Editor of Belfast (Me.) Journal 



Collins, Capt. J. W 



Forbes, Prof. S. A 



Gilbert, Charles H 



Gill, Prof. T. N 



"Goode, G. Brown 



Goode & Bean 



Goode & Collins 



Hay, Prof. O. P 



Ingersoll, Ernest 



Jordan, David S 



1 

 12 

 1 

 2 

 1 

 1 

 3 

 6 

 3 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 5 



Jordan &. Gilbert... 

 McDonald, Col. M.. 



Mather, Fred 



Phillips, Bamet 



Eathbuu, Richard . . 



Robertson, R. R 



Ryder, John A 



Smith, Rosa 



Smith & Swain 



Swain, Joseph 



Swan, James G 



Tanner, Lieut. Z. L. 

 True, Frederick W , 



22 



There are only two persons who have made much use of the collec- 

 tions besides the Museum officers. Professors Jordan and Gilbert, by 

 reason of their contributions of fishes from the west coast of the United 

 States, Central America, the Gulf of Mexico, Charleston, and other re- 

 gions, have performed much labor upon the elaboration of these collec- 

 tions and other Museum material previously sent here from the same 

 places. By reference to the bibliography immediately following this 

 chapter, it will be seen that nearly twenty papers have been written by 

 these gentlemen, principally upon material recently contributed by one 

 or both of them. These studies were made principally upon fishes of 

 Lower California, Mazatlan, Panama, Gulf of Mexico, and Charleston. 



Professor Hay studied and reported upon the 64 species taken by 

 him in Mississippi, Tennessee, and other Southern States before they 

 were forwarded to the Museum. 



Miss Eosa Smith and Mr. Joseph Swain reported upon a collection 



