REPORT ON THE REPTILES AND FISHES. 
By SamMuEL GARMAN. 
In these departments the number of specimens on exhibition 
has been considerably increased. The exhibit for the Europeo- 
Siberian room has been selected, mounted, and put in position, 
and many additional specimens have been placed in the other® 
rooms. The loss by evaporation from the jars on the shelves 
has been small. A gratifying reduction of the bulk of the col- 
lections in the storage-rooms has been rendered possible by the 
number of identifications. Quantities of duplicates and badly 
preserved specimens have been thrown away. Convenience in 
handling and in storing the reserves has been greatly enhanced 
by the space formerly occupied by the thousands of specimens 
that have gone out. Since the thorough renovation of a couple 
of years ago, comparatively little change is to be noticed in the 
contents of the storage-tanks, cans, and jars. 
Receipts. — The fishes of the first Blake Expeditions have been 
returned by Dr. Steindachner. A desirable lot was secured by 
purchase from Prof. Ward. It included fishes, selachians, 
batrachians, and reptiles. Among them was a fine series of 
sea snakes, and the strange shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, 
the type of a new order. ‘This selachian derives an especial 
importance from the fact that it is the only known living rep- 
resentative of the Cladodonts, so numerous in the Middle 
Devonian and the Subcarboniferous. It possesses the distine- 
tion at present of being “the oldest living type of Vertebrate.” 
A careful study of this species has been made, and is now being 
illustrated in an extensive series of drawings by the Museum 
artist, Mr. Roetter. From S. H. Sommers, Esq., has been 
received a collection of fossil fishes from the Twin Creek shales 
of Wyoming. We are indebted to the Fish Commissioners of 
Massachusetts and New Hampshire for a large series of young 
