48 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 
can zoologist. This collection, one of the finest of its kind, was re- 
ceived back during the present year from Europe where it was sent 
many years ago to be monographed by the then leading authority on 
that group of invertebrate animals. As the vicissitudes of this col- 
lection point a moral, it may be well in this connection to briefly out- 
line their history: After negotiations, carried on for several years, the 
entire collection of sponges of the National Museum was shipped in 
1906 to Prof. R. von Lendenfeld, at Prague, Bohemia, to be worked 
up, as it has been found impossible to find anybody in America 
capable of undertaking their study. The financing of this enterprise 
was assumed by the late Dr. Alexander Agassiz, who was greatly 
interested in the work. A small portion of the collection comprising 
specimens sent over previously was returned in 1908, and the result of 
their study published in 1910. In the meantime Doctor Agassiz’s 
financial position required him to withdraw his subsidy for the 
working up of the Museum material, and he died shortly after. The 
negotiations with von Lendenfeld for the continuation of the work 
fell through, because the Museum, in spite of the endeavors of Dr. R. 
Rathbun, the assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 
charge of the National Museum, was unable to spare the necessary 
amount from the regular appropriation, and no other financial 
assistance was obtainable. The proposition to establish a position on 
the scientific staff of the Museum for the study of sponges and recall 
the collection was discussed, but had to be abandoned for lack of 
means. Prof. von Lendenfeld’s death in 1913 caused the renewal of 
the negotiations with his successor, Prof. E. Trojan, but with no better — 
result. Very reluctantly, and only after all efforts to find a satisfac- 
tory way had failed, Doctor Rathbun, in June, 1914, ordered the 
collection to be returned for the purpose of storing it until it should 
be possible to induce a capable American zoologist to devote himself 
to the important work of making this remarkable collection accessible 
to the scientific world. Later the World War broke out and nothing 
was heard from the collection for more than five years. It was 
scarcely to be expected that this priceless alcoholic collection, which 
in all these years had been in the enemies’ country, should have es- 
caped destruction in the general collapse of the Austrian Empire. 
Great relief was therefore felt when early in 1920 a letter was received 
from Professor Trojan announcing that he had taken care of the 
collection during the war, and that it was still intact and in geod con- 
dition. Gratefully recognizing his efforts to preserve the specimens, a 
satisfactory arrangement was made with Professor Trojan to have 
the entire sponge collection packed and returned. It was finally re- 
ceived after an absence of 15 years. The specimens are here, it is 
true, but we are not one whit nearer the realization of the aim for 
