REPORT OF ASSISTAXT SECKETARV. 155 



DE1>ART:mKX'I' of vertebrate FOSi^ILS. 



The work in tliis (lopartnuMit of the IMuseum during the past year 

 has been partly devoted to moimtiug- and hibeliug the specimens 

 ah-ead3' phiced in eases in tbe exliibition room, and this work has been 

 under the special eliarge of ^fr. F. A. Lucas. 



The preparation of specimens secured by the honorary curator, Prof. 

 O. C. Marsli, <luring his explorations in the West for the U. S. Geologi- 

 cal Survey, has been continued at New Haven, and good progress has 

 been niade, but the want of proper space to exhibit such specimens 

 has prevented any of these being placed on exhibition in tlie National 

 Museum during the past j-ear. 



The curator i)roposes to use the wall space above the cases for a 

 series of life-size restorations of the large extiiK-t animals especially 

 characteristic of North America, and an important beginning has been 

 made by the production of a series of six restorations under the imme- 

 diate direction of Prof. Marsli. These restorations represent on canvas 

 the skeletons, natural size, of L> gigantic Dinosauriau reptiles from the 

 Jurassic formation, Ccmtosaurus and Stegoscmrus; 2 others from the 

 Cretaceous, Claosiiuru.s and Tricerafops; and 2 huge mammals from tiie 

 Tertiary. Tinocrras and Brontothcrinm. These restorations have been 

 made with great care, from type specimens, and this exhibition will be 

 of much interest to the general public. Sinnlar restorations of other 

 extinct animals are in preparation. 



The curator has published, during the past year, several papers 

 relating indirectly to the collections of vertebrate fossils mentioned 

 above, though more intimately in connection with the U. S. Geological 

 Survey. In memoirs now in preparation, however, he will describe 

 fully the more important specimens he has already deposited in the 

 National Museum. 



There have been l.J specimens received during the year, involving 

 the same number of (catalogue entries. 



l)El'AKT:\rENT OF MOLLUSKS. 



The curator. Mr. \V. U. J)al], reports that satisfactory ])rogress has 

 been made in routine work during the year. The arrangement of 

 specimens in the exhibiticm cases in the lower hall has been completed. 

 The general collection has been revised, the species conveniently 

 arranged for reference, and index sheets for each drawer, containing a 

 list of the genera and species in each tray, have been prepared. At 

 the same time the names of the species have been checked off on an 

 interleaved copy of Paetel's Catalogue of Mollusks, thus facilitating 

 reference to the collection and indicating deticiencies more clearlv. 

 Duplicates have been eliminated and packed away in their proj)er 

 boxes, as described in my last annual report. New material has been 

 examined, labeled, and distributed to its proper jdace in the collection 



