BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 227 



The preparation of the general guide to the Museum, the numbering of the cases, the 

 lettering of the rooms and galleries, and the construction of two new floor cases were 

 mentioned as having been completed during the year. Synoptical collections for the 

 departments of Mineralogy, Geology and Palaeontology had also been made and were or 

 soon would be on exhibition. 



In the department of Geology much had been done by Mr. Crosby, assisted by Miss 

 Carter. About 2500 specimens of rocks had been catalogued . and nearly 2000 of these 

 mounted and labelled. These included a collection of specimens illustrating a synopsis of 

 the classification of rocks, a systematic or lithological collection, a collection illustrating 

 structural geology, and one of historical geology. 



The important subject of dynamical geology, the Custodian stated, must remain unrep- 

 resented until floor cases could be furnished. The lack of means at present prevents this 

 from being done. The principal accession to the department of Geology consisted of four 

 hundred specimens contributed by Mr. Crosby. 



The Palaeontological collection had been increased by a small but quite valuable series 

 of Crinoids purchased by the Laboratory fund. 



The labelling and cataloguing of the Mollusca had been completed by Mr. Van Vleck, 

 assisted by Miss Washburn. To this department a very valuable addition had been made 

 by the purchase of the Blaschka models. These were made of glass and represented very 

 closely the living animal. There were 74 specimens in all, representing 17 genera and 44 

 species of the soft bodied Cephalopoda and naked Gasteropoda. 



The Corals and the Echinoderms had been rearranged, mounted and labelled during the 

 year, this work having also been done by Mr. Van Vleck, assisted by Miss Washburn. 



In the department of Entomology, Mr. Henshaw had been engaged in selecting speci- 

 mens for the formation of a synoptical collection representing the anatomy of insects, and 

 considerable progress had been made by him in identifying and arranging the species of 

 the general systematic collections. 



The department of Comparative Anatomy had been entirely rearranged so as to bring 

 it into harmony with the rest of the collections of the Museum. In the wall cases of 

 Room G, a synoptical collection had been placed illustrating the type characteristics and 

 anatomical peculiarities of the different classes of Vertebrates. A similar collection of 

 Invertebrates will occupy the two floor cases which had just been erected in the same room. 

 The osteological portion of the collection in the main hall remained nearly as before, but 

 the special homologies of the limbs and systems of organs, etc., among Vertebrates had 

 been placed in Room F. To Dr. W. F. Whitney, the Society is indebted for the entire 

 rearrangement of these last, and for much assistance in other portions of the work. 



The identification and labelling of the New England collection of fishes had been com- 

 menced by Mr. Van Vleck. A large number of species obtained at Annisquam by the 

 efforts of the Custodian, had been added to this collection. 



Of the Amphibia, 75 species had been identified, arranged and catalogued. Of the New 

 England species, of which there are 25 in all, 23 were reported as in the collection. 



In referring to the department of Ornithology, the Custodian alluded to the death of 

 the distinguished ornithologist, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, and of the great service rendered 

 by him to the Society in this department, whilst in charge of its general collection. To 



