68 REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 



Kansas, from Mr. H. Brandt; and of eggs, reptiles, and shells, from 

 St. Charles's College, Louisiana. Mr. Theodore Gill, during a vist 

 to Newfoundland, obtained a collection of fishes and invertebrates for 

 the Institution. Mr. Willis, of Halifax, has also furnished valuable 

 collections of eggs and shells. For a statement of many other im- 

 portant additions to the Smithsonian Museum from private sources, I 

 beg leave to refer to the list hereunto appended. 



17. Other 2>arts of the world. — A series of skins of the tropic-birds, 

 and of eggs of birds breeding on the Bermudas, has proved of 

 much interest for comparison with North American. These were 

 presented by Chief Justice Darrell: a collection of fishes and reptiles 

 from Nicaragua, presented by Dr. H. C. Caldwell, United States 

 navy, embraced several species new to the Smithsonian collection. 

 Mr. McLeannan, of the Panama Railroad Co., has presented to the 

 Institution many species of birds taken on the Isthmus not before 

 in the museum. Captain Dow, of the same company, has also sup- 

 plied a pair of living curassows. 



18. Miscellaneous collections. — One of the most important additions 

 to the museum during the year has been made by Mr. William Stimp- 

 son, embracing, among other specimens, the whole of his collection 

 of shells of the Atlantic coast, including the types of his "shells of 

 New England," and the "marine invertebrates of Grand Marian." 

 A large portion of the collection consists of specimens in alcohol, of 

 many species, the animals of which are almost entirely unknown 

 elsewhere. 



With this collection and that of the exploring expedition, and 

 other parties from the west coast, the Smithsonian Institution has 

 within its walls the best single collection extant of the marine shells 

 of North America. 



Dr. Jan has presented, on the part of the Museo Civico, Milan, of 

 which he is director, a large number of species of snakes, for the most 

 part types of his great work on serpents. 



From the zoological museum of the University of Copenhagen, 

 Dr. J. J. Steenstrup, director, the Institution has received types of 

 various species of radiates, Crustacea, <fcc, described by C. F. 

 Liltken, Dr. H. Kroyer and others. 



WORK DONE IN CONNEXION WITH THE COLLECTIONS. 



Much progress has been made during the year in putting the speci- 

 mens already exhibited in the museum in order, in adding additional 

 ones, and in properly labelling and arranging the whole. So much, 

 however, is required to be done, that it is not to be wondered at if 

 the amount actually accomplished is not at first fully realized by the 

 visitor. The taxidermist has completed the change of stands of all 

 the mammals and of the North American birds on the south side of 

 the hall, and is now engaged on the exotic birds. He has also 

 mounted several hundred birds, chiefly from fresh specimens, for 

 the purpose of exhibiting deficient species of more special interest. 



A considerable number of large quadrupeds have also been 



