The United States National Museum 353 



" The feature of greatest importance is that much of our 

 material has served in government reports, and is the basis 

 for the geological and paleontological work treating of the 

 western part of our country. This fact is well exemplified in 

 the great number of species which have served in description 

 and illustration, many of which are the original type-speci- 

 mens. There are of such species five thousand seven hun- 

 dred and forty-one. These are distributed in the sections of 

 this department as follows : 



Paleozoic Invertebrate species 1155 



Mesozoic 1024 



Cenozoic Invertebrate species 1304 



Vertebrate species 161 

 Paleozoic plant species (Lacoe collection) 504 



Mesozoic and Cenozoic plant species 1531 



Insect species 62 



"The most complete series is the 'Lacoe collection of 

 American Paleozoic plants,' the labeled specimens of which 

 alone number upwards of eighteen thousand, and of these 

 more than five hundred species have been described or illus- 

 trated by Lesquereux and White. This magnificent collec- 

 tion is the result of many years' accumulation, and cost 

 upwards of $50,000. It was donated to this museum in 

 1891, by Mr. R. D. Lacoe, of Pittston, Pennsylvania. 



"The collection of Cambrian fossils is very large, and 

 when Mr. Walcott shall have completed his studies upon this 

 material, it will be the most complete and valuable series of 

 fossils of this system extant. 



" The Cretaceous collection is also quite extensive and 

 represents much work by F. B. Meek, C. A. White, and 

 T. W. Stanton. 



" The Tertiary collection of Mollusca is one of the conspic- 

 uous features of this department This collection was accu- 

 mulated chiefly by William H. Dall. 



"Among single objects the following deserve mention: 



" A composite slab of Lower Carboniferous fossils measur- 

 ing four by six feet, and showing in high relief one hundred 

 and six crinoids (sixteen species) and other fossils. 



