48 davp:nport academy of natural sciences. 



The report was received and referred to an Auditing Com- 

 mittee, consisting of George H. French, W. H. Pratt and C. E. 

 Putnam. 



CURATOR'S REPORT. 



Qetitlemen and Ladies of the Academy : 



Regarding the condition or the Museum I beg leave to present the 

 following report : 



The increaae in the collection during the past year having been, as in 

 the preceding year, very considerable, has rather more than kept pace 

 with the increase of space and facilities for their proper arrangement. 

 As a consequence the arrangement is still rather imperfect and incom- 

 plete. In several of the cases the specimens are too much crowded to 

 make a good appearance ; in some others is a miscellaneous collection, 

 placed there temporarily for safe keeping, but which should be separately 

 arranged, and the unsettled appearance of some is still far from what we 

 should desire, while many good specimens are packed away for want of 

 room. The want of space and of labels, and a sufficient quantity and 

 variety of specimen boxes, greatly obstructs and increases the labor of 

 arrangement. 



On the whole, however, something has doubtless been gained during 

 the year in this respect. 



Almost the whole of the articles on deposit last year have since been 

 donated to the Museum, including one entire case (6x7 feet) of fossil 

 corals, nearly the whole of one case of coal plants, and the greater part 

 of one case of fossil shells, about 1,500 specimens in all. 



Two wall cases, 6 by 7 feet, and one botanical case have been added. 



Very little has been done in Archaeological explorations, but the number 

 of ancient stone implements has been about doubled. 



In Mineralogy, Geology and Palaeontology, the collection is gradually 

 and steadily increasing. 



In Botany, some valuable contributions have been received and collec- 

 tions made by members. 



In Zoology, the acquisitions consist of a number of skins of South 

 American birds, with a few specimens of local species, mounted, and eggs 

 of a number of species ; the skulls of some mammals; several bottles of 

 reptiles in alcohol ; a few fishes stuffed, and several hundred species of 

 recent shells, mostly foreign. 



Some of the above have been received in exchange for specimens from 

 our collections, and some in exchange for our Proceedings, but mostly by 

 donation. 



Considerable collections have been made by members, which collec- 

 tions are not reported among the donations, including several species of 

 recent and fossil shells, not before noted as being found here. 



The following is an approximate list of the collection as it now stands : 



