166 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



cases were tiiially uncovered it was observed that much damage had 

 been occasioned by the raiu. Tlie sponges and gorgouiaus were covered 

 thick with mold, and the glue used to repair many of the branching 

 stony corals had become softened, allowing the different pieces to fall 

 apart. 



Before winter the exhibition room had been restored to its previous 

 condition.but any iniin'ovement or increase in the disi)lay collection had 

 to be temporarily deferred in consequence of the necessity of beginning 

 preparations for the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. 



The renewal of alcohol on the large collection now possessed by this 

 department, the cataloguing of new accessions, and the continuation 

 of the card or systematic catalogue as specimens are identified, have 

 occupied much of the time of Mr. Benedict and Miss Eathbuu, and, 

 notwithstanding the crowded condition of the storeroom, it can be said 

 that the entire collection has been maintained in good condition 

 throughout the year. 



Not taking into account the very small organisms, which it is impos- 

 sible to enumerate, the number of specimens received by the depart- 

 ment has been 2,090. The entries made in the serial catalogue books 

 have been as follows : 



Group. 



Crust aoea IIS 



Worms 



Bryozoaus and Ascidiaus 



Echinoderms and Cflelenterates ' 17,759 ' 17,858 



Sponges and Protozoans fi. 313 ' 6. 326 



Total 



Entries to — 



June 30, 1892. June 30, 1893. 



Number of 

 entries dur- 

 ing year. 



16. 987 17, 815 I 823 



4.958 4,967 9 



2.869 2,887 \ 18 



99 



Mr. Benedict, the assistant curator of the department, has continued 

 during the year his work upon the large family l*((guri(la\ or hermit 

 crabs, of which he is preparing a complete mouograi^h, the same being 

 now well under way. He has also spent much time in a study of the 

 larger forms of anomura of the Pacific Ocean, belonging to other 

 groui^s than the above, and has classified the sponges recently' collected 

 in the North Pacific, by a microscopic examination of their spicules, in 

 order that the dilferent groups may be sent to specialists for study. 



The following paj^ers by ]\Iiss llathbun, completed during this period, 

 have been submitted for publication in the Proceedings: "Catalogue 

 of the Crabs of the family MalUlw in the U. S. National Museum;" 

 "Descrijitions of new genera and species of crabs from the west coast 

 of North America and the Sandwich Islands," based chiefly upon 

 material recently collected by the steamer Albatross; and " Descrip- 

 tions of new species of American fresh-water crabs." She has also 

 completed the identification of the collection of Brachynra made in the 



