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The Curator of Comparative Anatomy reported as follows : — 

 The Curator of Comparative Anatomy would respectfully report, 

 that the additions to his department during the year have been 

 few, but important, and all by donation. 



At the head of the list stands the nearly entire skeleton of the 

 Troglodytes Gorilla, which when mounted, will form one of 

 the most complete skeletons of this animal in the country ; this 

 was presented by the American Board of Commissioners for 

 Foreign Missions. 



There have also been presented a very fine Rhinoceros' Horn, 

 by Robert G. Shaw, Esq. ; the skeleton of a Seal, by G. H. 

 Jackson, Esq. of Plymouth ; an articulated human Skull, and a 

 model of the human Brain, by Dr. William R. Lawrence. 



The Curator of ConcJioIogy reported, that the additions to his 

 department during the past year had been few. A suite of the 

 Cycladid^ of the United States has been received from Mr. Tem- 

 ple Prime. A collection of the animals of the shells of the Ame- 

 rican coast has been commenced, and increased by donations of 

 some species from New England, by Mr. Joseph Monds, of Nor- 

 wich, Conn., and the Curator, and those of the Southern States, 

 by the Curator. 



The Curator of Hcrpetology reported, that the collections 

 under his charge had suffered much from previous unavoidable 

 neglect when he took them into his hands, and that the specific 

 names of scarcely any of the species represented had ever been 

 ascertained ; — 



That he has devoted much labor towards preventing further 

 destruction, and has in part succeeded ; — 



That he has arranged an almost complete series of the reptiles 

 of Massachusetts ; — 



That he has detected, among the confusion of jars, specimens 

 of a large proportion of the forms peculiar to North America ; — 



And that the Chelonians have all been systematically arranged, 

 in accomplishing which, he has found occasion to use some notes 

 kindly furnished him by the former Curator, Prof. VVyman. 



He has experienced great difficulty in satisfactorily studying 

 many of the foreign species, chiefly from the want of proper 

 books of reference, and is inclined to suppose that the Society is 

 in possession of several species that are as yet undescribed. 



