REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 245 



was, of course, based entirely upon specimens in the national collection, 

 many of which were obtained especially for the purpose. 



Mr. Safford, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy detailed 

 for special study by the Navy Department, rendered assistance in label- 

 ing and cataloguing a few species of shells at the National Museum, 

 and subsequently was engaged in similar but more extended work in the 

 field with the United States Fish Commission during the summer of 

 1883. 



On July 1, Miss Agnes Nicholson was engaged to take charge uuder 

 my direction of clerical and analogous work in the department, which 

 she has carried on in a satisfactory and efficient manner. 



A number of collections sent for naming by various students through- 

 out the country have been named and returDed by the Curator, who has 

 devoted nearly all his available leisure from other official duties to the 

 improvement of the arrangement of the collection. 



There can be no doubt, from the inquiries addressed to the Curator 

 during the year, that when the conchological collection is once arranged 

 for ready reference it will be resorted to very largely by students either 

 in person or by letters addressed to the curator. With the existence of 

 such facilities properly administered, the study of these animals will be 

 promoted and the number of students largely increased. This how- 

 ever cannot be expected to occur until the curator shall be able to de- 

 vote his whole time exclusively to the collection and cognate matters. 



The accessions of the past year have been extremely important. 



The United States Fish Commission work has been carried on with 

 new facilities and its usual vigor ; many mollusks new and known were 

 dredged, and a rough catalogue of them made before they were sent for 

 study to Professor Verrill at New Haven, where, with the exception of 

 a few cephalopods, the entire Fish Commission collection of mollusca 

 for the last twelve years remains. 



The collection prepared for the London Fisheries Exhibition will be 

 available on its return for exhibition in the Museum. The oyster in- 

 dustry is especially well illustrated by it. The models of gigantic cut- 

 tlefish and octopus prepared by Mr. Emerton are especially valuable for 

 the instruction of the public. 



The collection received from K. E.C.Stearns, Ph. D., of the University 

 of California, and still unpacked, is general in its nature, but with re- 

 gard to the western coast of both Americas is probably not only the 

 most valuable collection in existence but more valuable than all other 

 collections from the region put together. It has been made on scientific 

 principles, and in this respect differs from most of the older collections, 

 in which little more than the mere name of the shell was preserved. 

 There are other collections containing more species, but few, if any, of 

 greater beauty ; none are know r n which so well illustrate the fauna of 

 our Pacific coasts and territories. 



Mr. W. G. Binney and Dr. Isaac Lea have furnished valuable types 



