REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 61 



specimens of reptiles, which were added to the Museum collections. 

 The principal accessions to tbis department in is.si irere made by Cap t 

 Onarlea Bendire, r. s. A., Mr. Charles II. Townsend, Mr. O.J, Bering, 

 and by the scientific stall" which accompanied the United states Pish 



Commission steamer Albatross on her cruise to the West Indies. 



(<l) Department of Fishes. 



The work upon this extensive and nnwieldly collection has made fine 

 progress during the year. The curator, Dr. Bean, has nearly completed 



his card catalogue of the reserve series, and during the Summer Prof. 

 D. S. Jordan was employed, in the interest of the New Orleans Exhibi- 

 tion, in selecting out a special exhibition series to include all the fresh- 

 water fishes of the United States, and to make a special collecting trip 

 through the Mississippi Valley, with the view to supply Buch species as 

 were Lacking in the collection. This trip has been of great importance 

 to the science of ichthyology, bringing to light very many important 

 tacts concerning the fishes of a region not previously explored ichthyo- 

 logically, and throwing much light upon the whole subject of distri- 

 bution. Out of the 560 fresh-water species known to inhabit North 

 America, the Museum now has all but 49, 30 having been added by this 

 trip, and some 25 new species having been brought to light. 



Of the 93 accessions to this department during the year 34 are re- 

 garded as of great value. A large collection was received from Mr. L. 

 M. Turner. The U. S. Fish Commission contributed fifteen bottles of 

 deep-sea forms, including at least 20 new fishes from the deep-sea fauna. 

 These were of great value. Prof. D. S. Jordan sent a collection of Vene- 

 tian fishes containing 23 species; a large collection of fishes from Cuba 

 and Florida, containing many new species; a collection of fresh- water 

 fishes from Southern Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Indian Territory, In- 

 diana, &c. The curator added to the collection of this department 63 

 species of marine and fresh water fishes from Great South Bay, Long 

 Island, and vicinity. 



The total number of entries in the catalogue during the year was 

 3,015. 



During the year 127 drawings of fishes were added to the portfolio, 

 117 of which were made by Mr. H. L. Todd, and 10 by Miss. M. M. Smith, 

 whose ability for this work is very decided. 



Forty-one papers based upon material belonging to the department 

 were published by signatures in the Proceedings of the National Mu- 

 seum for 1884. 



The number of specimens in the collections is estimated at about 

 08,000, of which 30,000 are in the reserve series, 21,000 on exhibition, 

 and some 12,000 duplicates. 



A laborious and slow operation has been the transfer of the specimens 

 from the old tanks into new ones and into glass jars. 



