238 



REPOKT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



to the National Museum in exchange for duplicates of our deep-sea 

 species. 



During the year 1883 there were fifty-three papers received and cata- 

 logued for the Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 



Proofs of Sections D and E of Bulletin 27 (London Fisheries Exhibi- 

 tion Catalogue) were read, and Section F, relating to the fishes, was writ- 

 ten and the proofs revised before leaving for London. 



Entries in the catalogue of fishes during 1883. 



The total number of entries in the catalogue was 1,576, the first 

 number being 31,891, and the last 33,919. By subtraction we would 

 have nearly 500 entries more than the number given, but these are 

 partly blanks not yet filled up, or entries made in 1882. The actual 

 number is 1,576, as stated above. This number was distributed through 

 the different months, as shown in a table farther on. 



Table showing some of the work upon the collection of fishes during 1883. 



Months. 



,4 



a ® 



fiS 



£ S 



eS * . 



d m fi 



v? H 



January 



February 



March 



April : , 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 



December , 



Totals 



7 



9 



12 



14 



y 



4 

 8 

 2 



11 



id 



10 

 12 



108 



139 



61 



43 



169 



242 



76 



5 



79 



24 



361 



377 



1,576 



18 

 19 

 24 

 12 

 24 

 12 

 5 



119 



12 

 10 



5 



4 

 10 



5 

 13 



7 



81 



Present state of the collection. 



The exact number of specimens has not yet been accurately deter- 

 mined, but it cannot be less than 65,000, divided as follows : (1) In the 

 reserve series 35,000 ; (2) on exhibition 20,000; (3) duplicates 10,000. 

 Most of the collection is in good condition, the only exception being 

 very old collections which have not been kept in sealed bottles, speci- 

 mens received in bad condition, and collections kept in inferior tanks. 

 I am convinced that powder tanks are unreliable for the preservation 

 of fishes on account of the liability to become leaky and the rapidity 

 with which the coating of tin wears off. We shall never be able to pre- 

 serve fishes successfully until some good substitute for the copper tanks 

 is provided, and at present nothing else seems to be available except 

 glass vessels. 



