32 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



steamer Albdtross, <'hieliy in the Pacific Ocean; a collection of Biachy- 

 urans, obtained by the U. S. Fish Commission scliO(mer GrampHs, from 

 the Gulf of Mexico ; a large scries of specimens of the genus Fanopeus. 

 Large and valuable collections were also received from the British 

 Museum, London; the Imperial Museum of Natural History, Berlin; 

 the Eoyal Zoologi(;al Museum, Copenhagen; Dr. E. A. Andrews, of 

 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.; and Prof. H. A. Ward, 

 Bochester, jS". Y. Several sets of dui)licate specimens for exchange 

 and lor distril)ution to educational establishments were i)rei)ared and 

 sent out. Mr. Benedict, assisted by Miss Kathbun, has continued his 

 studies upon the Brachyuraus and Anomourans. This collection is one 

 of the largest and most important of the kind that has ever l)cen brought 

 together. It represents all parts of the world, and is especially rich in 

 forms from the coasts of the United States. 



COMPARATIVi: ANATOMY. 



The curatorship of this department has been transferred to Dr. Frank 

 Baker, who, owing to the duties of his position as acting manager 

 of the National Zoological Park, is at present unable to devote any 

 time to its work. The management of tlie affairs of the department 

 has therefore devolved upon Mr. Frederic A. Lucas, assistant cura- 

 tor. A considerable i)ortion of his time has been devoted to the 

 preparation of a plan for a synoptic exhibition series of invertebrates. 

 The mounting and installation of sx)ecimens has also been pushed for- 

 ward. He has made a study of the osteology of the family Paridce and 

 some of its allies. Mr. Lucas has also studied the osteological and other 

 anatomical characters of the Trochilidw, and theiesults are incorporated 

 with the paper on Humming birds, prepared by Mr. Eidgway, curator 

 of birds, and published in the Museum rei^ort for 1800.* 



The most important accessions during the year were a small collec- 

 tion of North Bornean birds, and a collection of birds from the Pribylov 

 Islands. 



During the year 055 speciuiens were added to the collection. 



FOSSILS (PALEOZOIC). 



From the re])ort of Mr. C. D. Walcott, honorary curator, the year's 

 work shows much progress, both in the development of the collection 

 and the installation and labeling of specimens. A large amount of ma- 

 terial has been received from the U. S. Geological Survey. Two im- 

 portant accessions were obtained during the year from the Geological 

 Survey of Sweden, and from Mr. Thomas Buddy, of Wales. The latter 

 collection is from the Bala series of rocks. The number of entries dur- 

 ing the year was 215, comprising r»15 specimens. Notices of the papers 

 published during the year by the curator and others atta(;hed to this 

 department, and based ux)on Museum material, will be found in the Bib- 

 lography (Section iv). 



" *Pa«es 253-383. 



