REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 19 



Lieut. Commander H. E. Nichols, U. S. Navy; Ensign W. E. Safford, U. 

 S. Navy, and Charles H. Townsend sent large collections. Hon. V. O. 

 King, IT. S. consul-general at Bogota, United States of Colombia, sent a 

 large and valuable general collection, including some interesting species 

 of snakes. 



The curator has published a paper on the "Recurrence of Symptoms 

 of Poisoning after Snake-bites." He has also prepared a paper entitled 

 a Poisonous Eep tiles of the United States." Prof. E. D. Cope, for sev- 

 eral years a collaborator of the Smithsonian Institution, prepared a 

 a Catalogue of tbe Reptiles and Batrachiaus of Central America and 

 Mexico." This is now in the hands of the printer and will be published 

 as Bulletin 32 of the U. S. National Museum. 



Professor Cope has also prepared a monograph of the Batrachians 

 of North America, the manuscript of which has been sent to the printer, 

 and which will be published as Bulletin 34, U. S. National Museum. 



The collection of reptiles is in good condition, and now includes 

 27,542 specimens. 



DEPARTMENT OF FISHES. 



The annual rate of increase of specimens in the collection of fishes 

 continues to be exceedingly large. In 1882, Dr. T. H. Bean, the curator, 

 reported that the collection contained not less than 50,000 specimens, 

 and in the present year the total number is estimated at 100,000. The 

 recent increase is largely due to the U. S. Fish Commission, which has 

 contributed twelve of the most important accessions received during the 

 year, while many other interesting contributions have been made by 

 agents of the Fish Commission in various parts of the country. The 

 officers of the Navy Department have, as usual, co-operated zealously 

 with the interests of this department, and five very interesting collec 

 tions have been received in this way. The curator has, during the year, 

 been relieved of his duties as editor of the " Proceedings" and ''Bul- 

 letins," a duty which he undertook many years ago. 



The literary work of this department has been extensive, and in the 

 bibliography there are noticed no less than thirty-six papers which 

 have.been published during the year, based upon the collection. 



The curator is engaged in several investigations, one of the most im. 

 portant of which has for its object the publication of a synopsis of the 

 Salmon family of North America, their study and identification. 



There are now 34,000 specimens of fishes in the exhibition series, 

 41,000 in the reserve series, and 25,000 duplicates. 



Dr. Bean, at the request of Professor Baird, accompanied the U. S. 

 Fish Commission schooner Grampus in its cruise along the middle and 

 southern Atlantic coast with a view to investigating the spring mack 

 erel fishery, in the months of April and May. A report of this expedi- 

 tion will be published by the U. S. Fish Commission, 



