202 KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



bottles, wliich uot only occupy all the shelves and tables, but a large 

 part of the floor space as well. Two series of cases in the hall adjoin- 

 ing this room are similarly filled with jars, while the floor of the hall is 

 used for the storage of the large copper tanks. Another large series of 

 cases in the main basement hall is occupied with jars belonging to this 

 department, and also the wall cases in the southwest part of the bird 

 hall, on the main floor. The west Smithsonian hall, formerly used for 

 the exhibition of minirals and pottery, is now almost entirely taken up by 

 this department, only a few of the larger pieces of pottery yet remain- 

 ing. The old wall cases in this hall are now filled with the exhibition 

 series of marine invertebrates, so far as it has been prepared; but it 

 has been necessary to use the floor space and the tops of the cases for 

 the storage of the dried specimens and some of the alcoholics, and for 

 the working over of collections as they are received. This hall has, 

 thereibre, been closed to the public for over a year. The general 

 colleclit ii of dri; d specimens is arranged in trays and boxes, partly 

 stored in suitable cases, but for the most part piled up on the floor. 

 This collecti(m includes nearly all the groups of marine invertebrates, 

 outside of the Mollusca, which permit of drying, and contains many 

 valuable speciujcns. The dry sea-urchins, which have been completely 

 worked up, are arranged in the trays fitting under the wall cases on the 

 east side of the hall, and the collection of star-fishes occupies the simi- 

 lar trays on the west side. 



The exhibition series has been temporarily arranged in natural se- 

 quence as regard:, the several groups displayed, beginning in the north- 

 east corner of the room. The sponges come first, and are followed by 

 the llydroid corals, Actiniau corals, Alcyonian corals, Ophiurans, Star- 

 fishes, Sea-urchins, and Crustaceans. By far the greater space is occu- 

 pied by the corals, which include nearly all the specimens saved from 

 the collections of the United States Exploring Expedition and the 

 North Pacific Exploring Expedition. As a whole the exhibition series 

 presents a creditable appearance, and it should be opened to the public 

 at as early a date as possible. 



The total number of j)ackages of specimens so far registered in this 

 department is 20,279, but as to the number of species or specimens it is 

 impossible at present to give any figures. A large number of the pack- 

 ages contain many, often several hundred, or, in the case of exceedingly 

 small animals, even thousands of specimens, rendering it quite useless 

 to attempt an enumeration. 



The exhibition series contains the following number of specimens: 

 Sponges, 283; Corals, 73G; Ophiurans, 120; Star-fishes, 173; Sea-urchins, 

 207; Crustaceans, 74; Miscellaneous, 20; total, 1,613. 



