164 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



leaving duplicates out of the computation altogether, that the discrep- 

 ancy is much greater than the above figures would convey. Without 

 being able to give exact figures, I have no hesitation in stating that it 

 is probable our mollusk-collection is twice as large as any other Ameri- 

 can collection and larger than any European collection." In point of 

 the number of original types it contains it will stand second only to 

 the collection in the British Museum, and in the fullness of the accom- 

 panying data and the scientific value of the material contained in it I 

 have no doubt it is the equal, if not the superior, so far as recent mol- 

 lusks are concerned, of any collection in the world. It has the best 

 faunal collection in existence of the British mollusca, of the mollusks 

 of the North Atlantic sea-bed, of the American Arctic regions, of the 

 East and West North American coasts, and of the interior land and 

 fresh water fauna of North America. Notwithstanding all this there 

 are many gaps to be filled, especially in exotic species, but not until 

 all arrearages are cleared up and we know exactly how we stand can 

 we use judiciously the large and valuable supplies of duplicate material 

 in our possession. 



The schedule showing the progress of registration during the past 

 vear is annexed. 



