246 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



of land and freshwater species belonging to the fauna of the United 

 States, mostly Helix, Limncea, and the like. 



The classical collection of Dr. John Gwyn Jeffreys, F. R. S., &c, has 

 been secured for the National Museum. What the Stearns and Car- 

 penter collections are for the California fauna, that of Dr. Jeffreys is for 

 the fauna of the North Atlantic, the British Isles, and Northwest 

 European coasts. Indeed, it is really more, for, in addition to a profu- 

 sion of types described by himself and other authors in modern days, 

 the collection contains selections of typical specimens from the cabinets 

 of nearly all the older British naturalists, such as Montague, Turton, 

 Humphrey, Alder, Brown, and a host of others. It also contains the 

 types and in most cases the unique examples of the shells dredged by 

 most of the deep-sea explorers of the North Atlantic except the Chal- 

 lenger expedition, as for instance specimens from the "Lightning," 

 "Porcupine," and "Valorous" expeditions; others from the "Jose- 

 phine," "Knight Errant," "Triton," and "Voringen" parties. Now 

 that the United States, through the Fish Commission, are doing more 

 toward deep-sea investigation than any other nation, the possession 

 of these types is invaluable for our students, who must otherwise 

 have gone to Europe for determining the objects of their study. When 

 to these are added the Stearns and Alaskan collections and those of the 

 Fish Commission, it will be evident that for the study of the marine 

 fauna of our shores we have a collection which can never be rivaled, 

 and only awaits suitable administration. An extremely interesting 

 collection from the south and west shores of Florida has been contrib- 

 uted by Mr. Henry Hemphill to the National Museum. It contains 

 about two hundred species, nearly all quite small, and many of them 

 new to science or to our coasts ; Mr. Hemphill is at present further ex- 

 ploring the same region. A list of this collection has appeared in the 

 Proceedings U. S. National Museum for 1883. 



The less noteworthy accessions appear in the list hereto appended. 



Our registers show addition of about 3,000 entries during 1883, but 

 this has no relation to the accessions, as it is impossible with the present 

 force to administer upon a one-hundredth part of the accessions per 

 annum, until the arrears of the past ten years are brought up. There 

 are perhaps 20,000 miscellaneous mollusks awaiting entry, while the 

 Stearns and Jeffreys collection will contain 50,000 more. 



At present, owing to the condition of the lower hall, no mollusks are 

 on exhibition, but a large number are ready for exhibition whenever 

 cases and facilities may be afforded. 



List of accessions. 



Austin G. Apgar, Trenton, N. J., October 19. Accession 13597. One box 

 specimens of mollusks from New Jersey, Sphcerium and Pisidium, un- 

 assorted, about 1,000 specimens. 



