REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT ZOOLOGIST. 



Albany, X. Y., Decemher 1, 1892.. 



James Hall, LL.D., Director of the New York State Museum: 



Dear Sik. — The following is a report of the affairs of the 

 Zoological Department of the JSTew York State Museum for 

 the period beginning October 1, 1891, and closing November 

 30, 1892 : 



Much the greater portion of my time during the past year has 

 been devoted to the work of rearranging the collections of shells. 

 This work Avas begun in the winter of 1890, and when the last 

 annual report was prepared most of the species belonging to the 

 families Muricid^ and Tritonidae had been reidentitied and some 

 of them had been labeled and arranged in the exhibition cases. 

 During the last year the Cephalopoda and the Gasteropoda of 

 the families Fusida?, Buccinidye, Xassida?, Turbinellidae, Yolutidge., 

 Mitridae. Conidae, Pleurotomidag, Margin ellidae, Olivida? and 

 ColumbellidiB have been reidentiiied and many of them have 

 been permanently arranged in cases. 



The rearrangement of the shells includes the reidentilication 

 of all- the specimens contained in the various collections. For 

 this purpose use is made of Tryon's Manual of (-onchology. 

 Large and elegant suites of specimens received from the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, from the duplicates of the United States 

 Exploring Expedition, from Hugh Cuming, from Dr. Wesley 

 Newcomb, and from other sources, have never been exhibited to 

 the public. The Gould collection, of which only a part was 

 exhibited, and the case containing the Keigen collection of 

 Mazatlan shells, formed the general conchological exhibit. Many- 

 species and some genera which are lacking in these collections 

 are represented by specimens in other collections belonging to- 

 the Museum. By combining the several collections (exclusive of 

 the Keigen collection, which by terms of gift must be maintained 

 separately) into one general collection, we have been enabled to 

 show at a glance all the species of each genus in our possession. 



