128 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887 



for the quarto Fishery Keport, and other Fish Commission duties, 

 have greatly interfered with work upon collections, but many careful 

 preparations of marine animals were made for the study and exhibition 

 series of the Museum. 



During the winter and spring much time was occupied in the care 

 and preservation of collections. All of the accessions received during 

 the year have been assorted, and the specimens catalogued and trans- 

 ferred to suitable receptacles where they are permanently safe. The 

 record books show the following number of entries under each group: 

 Crustaceans, 996; Worms, 2,611; Echinoderms and Coelenterates, 1,412; 

 Bryozoans and Ascidians, 130 ; Sponges and Protozoans, 103 ; a total 

 of 5,252. The large number of entries made in the Worm catalogue re- 

 sulted from the recording of the fine collection of annelids, turned over 

 to the Museum by Mr. James E. Benedict, naturalist of the steamer 

 Albatross, who resigned his position during the summer to engage in 

 business. He had been making a special study of the group and had 

 placed this collection in excellent condition. 



Much progress has been made with the systematic or card catalogue 

 of identified specimens in all the groups. This is used as the reference 

 catalogue, and enables one to determine without delay the existence of 

 any species in the collection, and the number and character of the speci- 

 mens by which it is represented. Each " lot" of specimens of each spe- 

 cies is entered upon a separate card, together with all the data known 

 respecting it, including the catalogue number. These cards are then 

 arranged in drawers in systematic order, after the manner of library 

 catalogues, the principal divisions, down to genera, being indicated by 

 taller cards appropriately inscribed. The main group to which these 

 cards now serve as a convenient index are several divisions of the Crus- 

 tacea, the Echini, Ophiurans, Asteridae, and stony Corals. 



The permanent arrangement of specimens has kept pace with the 

 completion of studies in each group of animals. After all the material 

 representing a species or genus has been determined, entered, and de- 

 scribed, where necessary, the duplicates, if any, are selected and 

 placed apart by themselves. Each "lot" of specimens is then boxed or 

 bottled, according to its character, and given a conspicuous outer label, 

 to facilitate arrangement in the cases and the subsequent reference to 

 any desired species. The amount of material gone over in this manner 

 has been very great, and a comparatively short time will suffice to 

 place the bulk of the collection, and especially that portion composed 

 mainly of the larger specimens, in similar good order. 



As .it was announced early in the year that extensive alterations 

 would be made in the corridor connecting the west hall, containing the 

 marine invertebrate display collections, with the main Smithsonian hall, 

 thereby necessitating its being closed to the public for several months, 

 very little attention has been paid to the exhibition series, and it re- 

 mains in about the same condition as at the end of the previous year. 



