120 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



The collection of barnacles, from all sources, has been brought to- 

 gether, with a view to selecting out the deep-sea species to send to Dr. 

 P. P. C. Hoek, of Holland, for identification, but want of time has pre- 

 vented the carrying out of that plan this spring. 



As collections have been overhauled and determined, many duplicate 

 specimens have been set aside for the purposes of exchange and for dis- 

 tribution to institutions of learning throughout the country. It will 

 probably be possible, at an early date, to make up a number of special 

 sets of this nature, but there is not enough material on hand at present. 

 The rapid increase in the size of our alcoholic collections has imposed a 

 heavy task in the way of keeping such materials in good condition, and 

 constant attention is required to prevent injury to specimens from the 

 loss of alcohol due to evaporation or the breaking of jars. The alcohol 

 which has remained in many of the receptacles for a number of years 

 has also been of uncertain strength ; and to remove all doubt as to the 

 safety of the collections, they have ])een completely gone over during 

 the past six months, and every jar and -bottle refilled with alcohol. Ee- 

 distilled alcohol of 75 to 80 per cent, has been used for this purpose 

 where a greater strength was not required. We have also attempted 

 to reduce the amount of alcoholic material by drying large numbers of 

 specimens, which it is possible to do in such groups as the sea-urchins, 

 star-fishes, &c. Nearly all of the collections sent in by the Fish Com- 

 mission have been preserved in alcohol, as it is impossible to dry most 

 specimens in good condition on the sea shore or on the steamers. The 

 work of drying, so much material has taken much time, but it will re- 

 lieve us of a great deal of trouble in the future ; and for the ordinary 

 purposes of observation, dried specimens are often preferable to alco- 

 holic ones. A sufficient number of specimens of each species dried are, 

 however, retained in alcohol. 



All collections have been catalogued as soon as receiv^ed and sorted, 

 whether identified or not, and in this manner a continuous record is 

 kept of the approximate number of specimens on hand, their origin, and 

 disposition. For identified collections, the card catalogues have been 

 continued, to permit of a systematic record of the species being kept. A 

 statement of the amount of cataloguing done during the past six months 

 is given further on. The other records of the department for the pre- 

 vious five years have also been put in as complete order as was possible, 

 considering the fact that they are in manuscript. It is proposed to 

 transfer all that are of permanent value to book form as soon as time 

 will allow. 



All of the objects of pottery remaining in the invertebrate exhibition 

 hall, except the large center piece, were removed in March, giving us 

 some additional room, which has long been much needed for storage. 

 This liall was kept closed to the public until the latter part of June, 

 and was used as a general storage and work room, especially for the 

 dried collections, all of which were brought in from the floor of the 



