BOSTON SOCIETY" OF NATURAL HISTORY. 107 



The Botanical department had had during the year an accession of about 1800 New 

 England plants, the bequest of Mr. C. A. Shurtleflf, and over 1200 German plants from 

 Col. Joseph Howland. 



The Geological and Palaeontological department had received in exchange a series of 

 casts of large animals from Prof. Ward, a collection of fossils from the Andes presented by 

 Dr. Winslow, and a natural cast in Red Sandstone of the bones of one of the animals that 

 probably made impressions upon the rocks of the Connecticut river. 



The most important and interesting addition to the collection during the year, was the 

 cast of the Megatherium presented by the late Joshua Bates of London, and which had 

 been mounted on a platform in the eastern part of the main hall. This was done by 

 Mr. Sceva with artistic skill, under the superintendence of Dr. James C. White, and it is 

 believed in a posture consonant with what the character and habits of the animal required. 

 The whole collection of the department was stated to consist of about 3250 specimens. 



The Mineralogical collection was reported to have undergone a thorough revision 

 during the year. The specimens suitable for exhibition and arranged upon the shelves, 

 numbered about fifteen hundred. 



The department of Comparative Anatomy and Mammals had received an accession of 

 eighty-four specimens in all, including seventeen skins of mammals. Skeletons of the 

 white whale, porpoise and dromedary had been set up, and much work done by the Cura- 

 tor, in making sections of skulls representing the various orders of mammalia. The 

 Curator again called attention to the unsafe condition of the skins in his department. 



The Ethnological department had received from many donors, principally Commodore 

 Charles Stewart, Dr. C. F. Winslow, Mr. E. A. Brigham, Mrs. James Phillips, and the 

 Smithsonian Institution, articles from Japan, Siam, California, Mexico, and from local- 

 ities in Massachusetts, all of which had been placed in the collection. 



The Ornithological department was represented to be in good condition, but the Cura- 

 tor complained sadly of the unsuitableness and imperfect construction of the cases. 



The Oological collection had been increased by donations from Dr. Henry Brj^ant, 

 Dr. A. S. Packard, Jr., John R. Willis, Esq., of Halifax, and Dr. Chas. T. Jackson, in all 

 numbering forty-five specimens. 



The Conchological department had received a donation from Dr. Henry Bryant, of a 

 collection of shells from Cape St. Lucas, and from Dr. Gundlach of a series of Cuban shells 

 identified by him. 



The Herpetological department was reported as containing about five hundred species, 

 half of which had been identified and arranged for exhibition, the others remained unar- 

 ranged for want of bottles, alcohol, &c. 



The Ichthyological department had received many additions, the donors being Prof. F. 

 Poey of Havana, the Lyceum of Natural History of Williams College, Dr. H. Bryant, the 

 late C. A. Shurtlefi; Mr. S. M. Buck, Mr. W. A. Nason, Mr. W. H. Dall, Mr. E. T. Snow, 

 Mr. H. C. Whitten, Dr. C. F. Winslow, Dr. B. S. Shaw, Mr. David Pulsifer, and the Curator, 

 F. W. Putnam. 



The department of the Radiata had received donations from Dr. H. I. Bowditch, Dr. 

 Samuel Kneeland, John B. Willis, Esq., Dr. A. S. Packard, Jr., and the Essex Institute of 

 Salem. The Echinoderms had been fully catalogued and arranged, with the exception of 



