XXVIII -DISTRIBUTION OF DUPLICATE SETS OF MARINE IN- 

 VERTEBRATES, 1879-1886. 



In the Commissioner's report for several years past, reference has been 

 made to the work done by the U. S. Fish Commission in distributing to 

 museums specimens of the lower forms of aquatic life; but as in no case 

 has a detailed report been made, 1t has beeu deemed proper to present 

 one at this time. Thus in the report for 188 1 it was stated : 



"The Commission has also made very large collections of aquatic ani- 

 mals, especially of fishes, shells, corals, crustaceans, starfishes, etc., and 

 after submitting them to a careful investigation for monographic research 

 and setting aside a full series for the National Museum, the remainder 

 has been made up into well-identified and labeled sets for distribution 

 to colleges, academies, and other institutions of learning throughout 

 the United States. The educational advantages of this last measure 

 have proved to be of the utmost value and are thoroughly appreciated 

 by teachers throughout the country. Applications for these sets are 

 being continually received, and several hundreds of them have already 

 been supplied, a number of persons being occupied for a good part of 

 their time in preparing to meet additional calls. There is nothing which 

 so much increases the interest in natural history as the opportunity of 

 examining actual specimens of rare and usually unprocurable species, 

 instead of depending upon descriptions or drawings; and as the possi- 

 bility of obtaining these series becomes the better known it is quite 

 likely that all the resources of the Commission for making collections, 

 great as they are, will be full}' taxed. 



" The calls for these specimens are usually made through the member 

 of Congress representing the district in which the institution is estab- 

 lished; or, if made direct to the Commission, they are referred to the 

 member for his indorsement and recommendation." 



Again, in his report tor 1881, the Commissioner said : 



" The Fish Commission has been enabled to do a great deal incident- 

 ally in the way of promoting science and education; especially by the 

 discovery of many rare forms of life in the waters, and by the accurate 

 labeling and extensive distribution of duplicates of these objects to col- 

 leges and academies throughout the country; the reserve specimens, 

 of course, going, under the law, to the National Museum. " 



[1] 843 



