216 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



as accessions, but a part of tbem are desirable. Tbey have, however, 

 all received proper atteutiou, as required by the rules of the Museum. 



ROUTINE WORK. 



Besides the work of classifying and arranging the collections, the 

 routine work of my division has consisted largely in duplicating the 

 registers and the preparation of catalogues. (Jopies of the three large 

 volumes of the registers have been made, consisting of 3,500, 8,899, and 

 12,900 entries, respectively. These copies have been delivered to Mr. 

 C. D. Walcott, who has charge of the Paleozoic fossils. 



A comi)lete index of all the Mesozoic and Cenozoic invertebrate fossils 

 of North America, wherever published, is in an advanced state of prep 

 aration, and it is exi)ected that it will be ready for publication during 

 the year. 



A catalogue of all the type specimens of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic 

 species belonging to the Museum is nearly completed, and will soon be 

 offered for publication in the Proceedings of the Museum. It is based 

 upon a careful selection and verification of the specimens, and will show 

 the Museum registry number of each, as well as the date and place of 

 description and illustration. 



Tbe reviewing and labeling of all the fossils belonging to this divis- 

 ion, exclusive of the later collections of the Geological Survey and the 

 49 boxes sent last year from Texas by Mr. George Stolley, have been 

 completed. The Stolley collection has been unpacked, a few trays full 

 selected for the Museum, and the remainder stored in the Armory 

 building. 



The entries in the Museum register for the year range from 12,231 to 

 13,389, inclusive. 



A collection of Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossils, consisting of 100 species 

 has been sent to Prof. Samuel Calvin, of the Iowa State University, in 

 exchange for fossils recei\'ed from him by the Museum a year or two 

 previously. A collection of 18 specimens of fossiliferous rocks have 

 been delivered to Mr, George P. Merrill, in charge of the Department 

 of Lithology in the Museum. 



PRESENT STATE OF THE COLLECTIONS. 



It is not at present practicable to make any satisfactory statement as 

 to the present state of the collections, because, for want of sufficient 

 help and suitable room in which to work, they have not been fully 

 classified, and none of them are yet installed. Upon the completion 

 of the study of any collection or group of si)ecies the specimens have 

 been put away in trays, where they await an opportunity for their clas- 

 sification and installation. 



Speaking in a general way, 1 may say that the collections contain a 

 large part of the types of the species of fossil invertebrates which 

 have been published in the official reports of the United States sur- 



