REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 219 



hao, in tlie north, and Eio de Janeiro, in the south. The greatest vahie 

 of this collection arises from the fact that it contains several undescribed 

 species, and represents a portion of the zoological researches of the Geo- 

 logical Commission of Brazil, of which the late Prof. Ch. Fred. Hartt 

 was chief. Our knowledge of the coral fauna and coral reefs of Brazil 

 dates from the second journey of Professor ETartt to that country, in 1866, 

 when he collected 19 species of corals, which were described by Prof. A. 

 E. Verrill, in 18GS. Tlie Geological Commission of Brazil, of which the 

 curator was a member, during the period of its continuance, from 1874 to 

 1878, brought together a very large collection of corals, amounting in all 

 to several thousand specimens, which were placed in the writer's hands for 

 study and description. Thirty-four species were readily distinguished, 

 but the means of properly identifying them were not at hand, and the 

 completion of the report was postponed until the materials for making 

 suitable comparisons could be obtained. The arrival of this collection 

 at Washington will permit the accomplishment of this object. The 

 writer's notes on the Brazilian collections are very full, and are accom- 

 panied by many photographs. 



Dr. Charles Liitken, Copenhagen, Denmark, has sent a fine collection 

 of European marine annelids, containing 85 species, mostly from Den- 

 mark, carefully determined and in good condition. This collection is 

 of si)ecial value as a means of making comparisons with North Amer- 

 ican species, the annelid fauna of both sides of the Atlantic being very 

 similar, and including many identical species. 



Dr. Gustav Eisen, Fresno, Cal., has forwarded a large collection of 

 identified earth-worms, from Northern Europe and California. 



Mr. Winifred Stearns, of Amherst, Mass., has sent a collection of 

 marine crustaceans, radiates, and worms, from Labrador, made for the 

 National Museum. This collection has been referred to Prof. A.*E. 

 Verrill for examination; it contains quite a variety of forms. 



The museum of Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., has sent a 

 collection of dry and alcoholic marine-invertebrates from Bermuda, col- 

 lected by Dr. F. V. Hamlin. 



Dr. George W. Hawes, U. S. National Museum, has sent a small col- 

 lection of marine invertebrates, in alcohol, from Bermuda. 



Mr. E. G. Blackford, Fulton market. New York City, has sent twenty- 

 five specimens of edible crayfish {Cambariis ririlis Hogen) from Mil- 

 waukee, Wis. These sj)ecimens were selected from market supplies in 

 Fulton market, received from IMilwaukee, which city, with Montreal, 

 Canada, furnishes all the crayfish consumed in New York City during 

 the summer and fall. Also an 18-pound lobster from the coast of Maine. 

 This specimen is now being mounted dry, for the exhibition cases, and 

 will also be sent to the London fishery exposition. 



From Mr. C. L. Herrick, Minneapolis, Minn., has been purchased a 

 small but interesting collection of cray-fish, from numerous localities in 



