132 



only distinguished by numbers, referring to a numerical 

 catalogue in course of preparation. The collection is, in 

 every way, in a more satisfactory condition than for some 

 time past ; but it is a source of regret that so many of the 

 specimens were, in former years, received and dei^osited 

 without being identified or any distinguishing mark placed 

 with them, not only making the labor incumbent on the j^res- 

 ent Curator far more arduous, but rendering the collection of 

 far less value than it might have been with more attention to 

 these unportant points. As soon as it is possible to complete 

 the arrangement of the collection now in possession of the 

 Society, the Curator has assurance of additions, by donation 

 and exchange, to enable hun to fill out certain of the defi- 

 ciencies which exist. Although the sjDace allotted to this 

 department is large enough to accommodate the present 

 collection, the Curator calls our attention to the fact that it 

 cannot long remain so with the ordinary influx of material 

 for display, and urges the fitting up of one of the unoccupied 

 apartments, for his collection, and that of Ichthyology. The 

 additions to this department during the past year have 

 amounted to 140, and have been received from the following 

 gentlemen: Drs. Bryant, Shaw, and Winslow; Messrs. F. 

 Andernach, Bishop, T. T. Bouve, L. L. Holden, J. Robertson, 

 R. Scott, S. H. Scudder, C. A. Shurtleff, E. F. Snow, H. C. 

 Whitten, and by purchase. 



The cases in which the Ichthyological collections are dis- 

 played, are those against the northern wall of the upper 

 gallery. At the beginning of the year the collection con- 

 sisted of nearly 650 species, represented by about 1,800 speci- 

 mens, all but 200 of which are preserved in alcohol. 



The arrangement of the collection is that of a faunal one 

 and in this only the larger faunal districts could be desig- 

 nated, as the collection is not yet large enough to show the 

 more Hmited faunae. The siDccimens thus arranged come 

 under the following: Zoolosrical Provinces. 



1. The Atlantic coast of North America, from Cape Hatteras 

 northward, including Greenland; represented by about 90 species. 



