REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 61 



very valuable to the collectiou. The first installments of the mass of 

 material which was collected by the U. S. Fish Commission and placed 

 many years ago in the hands of Prof. A.E. Verrill, of Yale College, for 

 study and identification, have been received. This fact is recorded 

 with much pleasure and the acknowledgments of the Museum are due to 

 Professor Verrill for the long and difticult task which the study of this 

 material has imposed upon him. 



The curator thus reports on the work accomplished during the year 

 in connection with the preservation and installation of the collections: 



Daring the year ending June 30, 1895, about 14,132 specimens, representing about 

 3,000 species, have been entered upon our record book for the study collection. Most 

 of these, together with a large amount previously entered, have been regularly incor- 

 porated in the study series, the general index has been further added to and corrected, 

 and lists of the species and genera for ready reference have been written and placed 

 in each tray of the working collection. The entire general collection of Naiads has 

 been carefully examined and compared with the Lea collectiou and literature and 

 accurately named. They have been arranged in a natural system, in groups. At the 

 present time Mr. Simpson is making out cards showing their distribution. 



A considerable part of the fine general marine collection presented by the Rev. Dr. 

 L. T. Chamberlain has been administered upon, a part of this being added to the 

 general collection and the remainder being jilaced among the duplicates. 



An extensive collection of alcoholic and dry material which was collected by the 

 U. S. Fish Commission off the coast of New England has recently been received 

 from Prof. A. E. Verrill, who has held the same for study and naming. The alco- 

 holics have been carefully examined and the akohol made of preservative strength. 

 The dry specimens are now being labeled by Miss Beard preparatory to being incoi"- 

 porated in the study and duplicate series. During the year the shells of the family 

 Mactrid;e have been carefully named and arranged by Dr. Dall in connection with 

 his stiuly of the group. The tree snails of the Philippine Islands have been brought 

 together, arranged essentially according to Pilsbry's " Manual of Conchology," and 

 placed on exhibition. 



The present condition of the exhibition and study series, both of 

 recent and Tertiary mollusks, is indicated by the curator in the following 

 words : 



The general marine collection occupies the drawers of the cases running along the 

 middle of the main hall; the collectiou from the west coast of North and South 

 America and the general collection of land and fresh-water shells are in the south- 

 eastern gallery; the Jeffreys collection and the collections from the West Indies and 

 east coast of North America are in the curator's offices in the north tower; the Lea 

 collection of Naiads is exhibited in the table cases in the eastern half of the main 

 hall; the tree snails from the Philippine Islands are exhibited in two table cases in 

 the western half of the main hall; the duplicates are stored in the basement; the 

 alcoholi'c collection occupies the basement room, part of the northeastern galleiy, 

 and two rooms in the north tower; the collection of Tertiary fossils is in the north- 

 eastern gallery. 



Dr. Dall has partially completed his studies of the genus Cerion, nam- 

 ing three new subgenera, founded on internal iamelhi?, and has finished 

 his study and arrangement of the family Mactrid.c, and the classifi- 

 cation of the Pelecypoda. The results have been published in the 

 Proceedings of the National Museum and elsewhere. He has also 

 continued his work on the Floridian Tertiary fauna. 



