REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES 

 IN THE U, S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892, 



By Richard Rathbun, Honorary Curator. 



Much progress lias been made during the past year in the study of the 

 collections belonging to this department, especially of the higher crusta- 

 ceans, and in the preparation of reports relating to them. As the west 

 hall of the Smithsonian Institution has remained closed during this 

 entire period, owing- to delays in the completion of the repairs, it has 

 not been possible to take any active steps toward the improvement of 

 the exhibition series, although a very fair display has been maintained 

 in the temporary quarters allotted for this purpose in the iish hall ad- 

 jacent. There has been a marked increase over the previous year in 

 the number as well as in the aggregate extent and value of the acces- 

 sions which have been received from many diverse sources. Much 

 time has necessarily been required in caring for these additions, and in 

 attending to the continued preservation of the general collections, 

 which have now attained so large a size as to severely tax the storage 

 accommodations assigned to them. But few changes have been made 

 in the quarters occupied by this department, and they remain there- 

 fore in essentially the same condition as described in the last report. 



The curator has exercised only a general supervision over the affairs 

 of the department, leaving to the assistant curator, Mr. James E. Bene- 

 dict, and to Miss M. J. Rathbun, the burden of the work, which has been 

 attended to, as heretofore, in the most thorough and conscientious 

 manner. 



The total number of accessions received was forty-six. The largest 

 contribution was made by the IT. S. Fish Commission and consisted 

 mainly of crustaceans, chiefly brachyura and aiiomoura, represented by 

 many species and a very large number of specimens, the same having 

 been collected by the steamer Albatross in the North Pacific Ocean 

 and Bering Sea; by the steamer Fish Hawk and the schooner Grampus 

 on the Atlantic sea coast, and by Prof. B. W. Evermann in Texas. It 

 also included a small collection of avian entozoa made by Prof. Edwin 

 Linton in the Yellowstone National Park. 



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