Custodian] 20 [May 6, 



collection generally inteiesting to the public. The additions 

 have been few; we have received in exchange from the 

 Museum of Yale College a selection of forty-eight corals and 

 Echinoderms of twenty-one species, nearly all new to the 

 collection, and in gi-eat part types of species from Panama 

 and Peru, recently described by the Curator. Capt. Daniel 

 H. Hutchinson has presented us with an exquisite specimen 

 of sponge, the Euplectella speciosa or Venus flower basket, 

 from the Island of Zebu, Philipines, and a few specimens 

 have been received from Drs. G. H. Brown and J. B. S. Jack- 

 son, Capt. N. E. Atwood and Mr. F. A. Andrews. 



A new room has been assigned to the department of 

 Microscopy, and the rough material of the Bailey collection 

 transferred to it. According to the provision of Professor 

 Bailey's will, the mounted material, letters, and manuscrijits 

 have been placed, with the books, in a case constructed for 

 that purpose in the rear Library. Instruments fi-om the 

 Boston optical works, and mounted specimens from the Es- 

 sex Institute microscopical works have been exhibited at 

 almost every meeting of the Section, and have added greatly 

 to the general interest. Mr. C. P. Dillaway has presented 

 specimens of soundings from Maine and Louisiana. 



An additional cabinet has been constructed for the Her- 

 barium, the herbarium itself partially rearranged and a 

 new disposition made of the larger objects on exhibition. 

 The Curator has devoted much time and labor to the ex- 

 tensive collection of Algae bequeathed by Professor Bailey, 

 and hopes to complete his work in a few weeks. A large 

 collection of full-size paintings of BraziUan fruits, deposited in 

 the botanical room by the artist, Mr. W. Ingalls, has at- 

 tracted much attention. Donations have been received fi-om 

 Miss Lydia B. Felt, Drs. S . A. Bemis, S. Green, J. B. S. 

 Jackson, B. J. Jeffries, S. Kneeland, E. L. Sturtevant and 

 C. E. Ware and Messrs. L. Baker, H. I). Barnes, W. T. 



