BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 195 



Dr. Taylor's heirs, and afterwards presented it to the Society, with the rest of his herba- 

 rium. 



The knowledge of the structure of lichens has advanced much since Dr. Taylor's day, 

 and the nomenclature has undergone extensive changes, so this herbarium, though contain- 

 ing over a thousand species, might have remained comparatively useless to the American 

 student had it not been for the voluntary services of Prof. Edward T. Tuckerman. 

 He examined and named very nearly the entire series, a work which no one else in this 

 country could have done, and has given it an authentic value, otherwise unattainable. 



The decease of Dr. P. P. Carpenter of Montreal, to whom had been intrusted the work 

 of naming the collections of shells, had prevented its final completion. Fortunately for 

 the Society, not much remained undone. At the time of Dr. Carpenter's death, he had in 

 his possession at Montreal a very large portion of the collection belonging to the Museum. 

 The specimens were subsequently received in admirable condition, not one having been 

 lost, and all had been unpacked and arranged in the cabinet by Mr. Van Vleck. Miss 

 Washburn had been engaged in re-mounting, labelling and cataloguing them. 



The Systematic collection of Mollusca, consisting of 630 genera, represented by 2600 

 species and 9000 specimens, had been completed by Mr. Van Vleck, and placed on exhibi- 

 tion. 



The alcoholic collections of Reptiles and Batrachians had been in large part revised and 

 named by Mr. Garman of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Considerable additions 

 had been made to them by the kindness of Mr. Garman, who selected from the duplicates 

 of the Museum by permission of Mr. Agassiz, the director, such specimens as were needed 

 for the collection of the Society. 



The New England collection of birds had been much increased by donations from 

 various parties, and by exchange. Eighty species had been added, some of which were 

 of great rarity. The donors were Messrs. Weeks, E. A. & 0. Bangs, C. B. Corey, F. B 

 Loring, W. B. Greene, H. D. Morse, Win. Brewster, Arthur Smith, Geo. A. Boardman, 

 and H. 0. Ryder. 



The Entomological collection had been enriched by valuable donations received from 

 Messrs. Smith, Bryant, Thaxter and Mrs. Moring. Mr. Henshaw's labors in this depart- 

 ment had been continued. 



To the Anatomical collection a number of preparations had been added by the assis- 

 tant, Mr. Van Vleck, and by Dr. Thomas, a student in the Museum. 



To the collection of Echinoderms had been added a suite of Ophiurans received from 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology. These having been identified and named by 

 Mr. Theodore Lyman, the labelling may be relied upon as correct. 



Of the Laboratory, the remarks of the Custodian are presented in full, as they give 

 briefly a good idea of the practical means taken to advance the knowledge of natural hist- 

 ory in the community. 



"The work in this department has greatly increased. The educational collections, if 

 they continue to be improved at the same rate, will, within a year or two, be entirely 

 completed, with of course, the exception of those rarer preparations and specimens which 

 never seem to be within the reach of moderate means. They embrace typical zoological, 



