100 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



prevented to the reserve or study series, the few specimens which were 

 injured belonging to the duplicate series. 



The exhibition collection is still in decidedly the most unsatisfactory 

 condition of any portion of the collection, it being impossible to prevent 

 injury to thespeciineus from insects and dust, both of which have free 

 ingress to the old and in every respect unsuitable cases in which the 

 collection is arranged. 



It has not been practicable to make an actual count of the specimens 

 in the collection. In fact, it is the curator's opinion that this should 

 only be done at intervals of several years (when it becomes necessary, 

 on account of crowding, to re-arrange the collection) for the specimens 

 suffer more or less deterioration from frequent handling. A careful es- 

 timate, however, based on the inventory of the preceding year and the 

 accessions for the one just closed, gives the following as the approxi. 

 mate numbers of specimens in the reserve, exhibition, and duplicate 

 series, and the total number in the collection.* 



Series. 



1885-'86. 



1886-'87. 



Increase-j- 

 Decrease — 



Reserve 



38, 875 

 7,000 

 7, 750 



40, 875 

 7,000 

 7,112 



+2, 000 

 (none) 

 — 638 











Total 



53, 445 



54, 937 



1,542 







Last entry in catalogue, in June, 1886 109060 



Last entry in catalogue, in June, 1887 111453 



The papers published during the year by the curator and his official 

 associates, and by collaborators upon Museum material, are noticed in 

 the bibliography. 



*Of the 2,393 total additions during the year it is estimated that 2,000 went into 

 the reserve series and 393 into the duplicate series. This would increase the latter 

 to 8,143, were it not that the specimens distributed during the year (1,031) were taken 

 from that series. 



