DEPARTMENT OF MOLLUSKS. 373 



from Messrs. G. W. Webster and J. J. White, collected in southeastern 

 Florida. These materially enlarge our knowledge of the geographical 

 distribution of many Southern species heretofore only known from the 

 Antilles and the Keys. 



Among fossils the largest contributor, as usual, has been the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, closely followed by Mr. Joseph Willcox, of Phila- 

 delphia, whose energy iu exploring the fossiliferous deposits of Flor- 

 ida has been most untiring. 



ROUTINE WORK. 



The routine work of the past year has been largely devoted to the 

 collection representing the fauna of the southeastern shores of the 

 United States and adjacent waters. This part of the collection is now 

 wholly registered, fully labeled, and arranged systematically. A check- 

 list of this fauna is now in process of printing, and when completed 

 will serve as an index to this part of our molluscan collection. From 

 a rough estimate this fauna may be regarded as represented in our col- 

 lection by about fifteen thousand specimens divided among some two 

 thousand nominal species. This is probably the fullest and best ex- 

 hibit of these forms brought together anywhere in the world, though 

 the very completeness of the arrangement shows that it is not without 

 its deficiencies. 



Dr. Stearns reports that his time has been largely devoted to the land 

 and freshwater shells, especially of North America, and to the revision 

 and labeling of material heretofore not administered upon. The collec- 

 tion of North American land and fresh-water shells is in complete order 

 for reference, and the forms belonging to the South American and An- 

 tillean fauna are to a great extent available also. The material in both 

 these sections of the collection, as well as in the matter of exotic land 

 shells, will be largely augmented when the Lea collection shall be ad- 

 ministered upon and in a state for study. Constant small additions 

 are being made by correspondents of the Museum in different parts of 

 the country. 



As soon as storage room in the new cases becomes available, a large 

 proportion of the material now piled up for want of space to put it 

 away will be provided for, and work on the remaining arrears be greatly 

 facilitated. A proper series for exhibition purposes will be available 

 at the same time, and for the first time in its history the Department 

 of Mollusks will be able to bear its proper share in interesting the pub- 

 lic by the contents of suitable table-cases. 



Information or assistance of more or less importance, chiefly in the 

 identification of specimens or supplying data for investigators, has 

 been furnished to the following persons, among others, the work often 

 requiring in a single instance the available part of several days of 

 labor and the writing of several letters. 



