REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 251 



Agassiz was in charge of the natural history work, and accompanied 

 the steamer during nearly the entire time while dredging operations 

 were being carried on. The valuable collections made were, under the 

 supervision of Mr. Agassiz, placed in the hauds of competent special- 

 ists in the several groups for study, and as rapidly as the reports upon 

 each group were published, the National Museum has received a com- 

 plete series of all the species obtained. The sponges and a portion of 

 the crustaceans were received during 1882, and are referred to in the an- 

 nual report for that year. The collections received this year are as fol- 

 lows : Thirty-one species of deep-sea corals, consisting of dry prepara- 

 tions entirely, and mainly obtained from the region of the West Indies, 

 between 1877 and 1879 ; determined by the late Count L. F. de Pour- 

 tales. One hundred species of Ophiurans (brittle-stars or serpent stars) 

 and Astrophytons (basket-fish), entirely preserved in alcohol and deter- 

 mined by the Hon. Theodore Lyman. Thirty-six species of Echini or sea 

 urchins, mainly alcoholic preparations, determined by Prof. Alexander 

 Agassiz. 



The Museum of Comparative Zoology has also contributed to the 

 National Museum during the year a collection of 18 species of North 

 American fresh- water cray-fishes (Astacidce), which nearly completes our 

 list of desiderata in that interesting group, for the United States. 



From Prof. H. E. Webster, of Union College, a very valuable collec- 

 tion of marine annelids in alcohol, containiug about 180 species, ob- 

 tained from the eastern coast of the United States, between Eastport, 

 Me., and Virginia. These specimens were mainly obtained from the 

 shores and from the shallow waters just off shore, and represent the 

 recenfc researches and publications of Professor Webster, one of the 

 best known American authorities on this group of marine invertebrates. 

 Mr. James E. Benedict, now naturalist of the U. S. Fish Commission 

 steamer "Albatross," was associated with Professor Webster in much of 

 his annelid work. 



From Dr. William B. Carpenter, London, England, through Mr. 

 Boinyn Hitchcock, 47 microscopic slides, representing four species of 

 the genus Orbitolites of rhizopods, collected by H. M. SS. " Challenger," 

 " Porcupine," and " Valorous." This collection consists of both dry and 

 moist preparations in fine condition, and is illustrative of a recent mono- 

 graph by Dr. Carpenter, contained in the "Beports of the scientific 

 results of the exploring voyage of H. M. S. 'Challenger,' 1873-'76." 



From Mr. Edward Potts, Philadelphia, Pa., 23 species of American 

 fresh-water sponges, contained on 89 microscopic slides and in 16 bottles. 

 Twenty species are from the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New 

 York, and Massachusetts, and three species from South America. Nearly 

 all the known North American species are represented. 



From Dr. Edward Palmer (by purchase), a fine collection of dried 

 preparations of the non-commercial horny sponges of Florida and the 

 Bahama Islands, identified by Pro%Alpheus Hyatt, of Boston. Twenty- 



