252 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



two species, represented by 42 specimens, and covering several varie- 

 ties, have been selected from this collection for the reserve series, 

 and have been mounted by Mr. Hawley for exhibition. A sufficient 

 number of duplicates remain to form two good sets for exchange. 

 These specimens formed a part of the collection on which Profes- 

 sor Hyatt based his monograph of the Poriferae, published in the 

 Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, for 1871-'78. 



From Messrs. McKesson & Bobbins, New York, over 200 specimens 

 of Florida commercial sponges, representing nearly all the known com- 

 mercial varieties. This collection is supplemental to collections re- 

 ceived from the same firm in 1882, and derives a special value from the 

 fact that the supposed age of each specimen is indicated, based upon 

 recent experiments in sponge cultivation at Key West, Fla., by the agent 

 of McKesson & Bobbins. The latest information received regarding 

 these experiments indicates that the practical success of sponge cul- 

 ture has been quite fully assured. 



From Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, a large collection of marine and fresh- 

 water invertebrates from Bering Island, off the Pacific coast of Siberia, 

 made during 1882 and 1883. From Dr. B. W. Shufeldt, U. S. A., a 

 collection of crayfishes, containing several species and very many spec- 

 imens from the Mississippi Biver, near New Orleans, and of fresh- 

 water and marine shrimps from Southern Louisiana. 



From the United States Signal Service Bureau, a valuable collection 

 of marine and fresh-water invertebrates, made in the vicinity of Point 

 Barrow, Alaska, by the observing party under Lieutenant Bay, U. S. 

 A., stationed there from 1881 to 1883, and of which Mr. John Murdoch 

 and Mr. Middleton Smith acted as naturalists. This collection Is now 

 being examined by Mr. Murdoch. Also a small but interesting lot 

 of marine invertebrates from Bristol Bay, Alaska, collected by Signal 

 Observer 0. S. McKay, deceased. 



From naval sources: A large and fine collection of marine inverte- 

 brates, mainly echinoderms and crustaceans, from the coasts of British 

 Columbia and Southern Alaska, made by Lieut. Commander Henry C. 

 Nichols, U. S. N., in command of the United States Coast Survey steamer 

 " Hassler." A collection of Crustacea from the west coast of Green- 

 laud, made by Ensigns H. G. Dresel and A. A. Ackerman, attached to 

 the United States steamer " Yantic," tender to the Greely relief steamer 

 "Proteus." Miscellaneous collections containing immense numbers of 

 small animals, obtained by dredging and by scraping buoys, &c, from 

 Commander B. D. Evans, U. S. N., in charge of the fifth light-house 

 district. These materials were mostly collected at the mouth of Chesa- 

 peake Bay, and of the Potomac, James, and York Bivers, and contain 

 a large number of small, uudescribed species. Two species of corals 

 from an iron buoy and chain in the harbor of the Dry Tortugas, Florida, 

 sent by Lieut. Commander J. K. Winn, U. S. N., in charge of the Key 

 West, Fla., naval station. A very large and finely preserved specimen 



