REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 37 



University, contain much new material. The curator made a valuable 

 collection of reptiles, birds, and mammals in Arizona, New Mexico, and 

 Texas, during the months of September, October, and November. 



The curator has made a special study of the geographical distribu- 

 tion of the reptiles and batrachiaus of the southwestern Territories of 

 the United States. He has also published in the Proceedings of the 

 National Museum a number of papers describing new species. 



The total estimated number of specimens in the Department is now 

 29,050. During the year 705 catalogue entries have been made. 



Department of Fishes. — In the early part of the year the honorary 

 curator, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, was in Alaska for the purpose of investi- 

 gating the condition of the fisheries, in connection with his official duties 

 as ichthyologist of the U. S. Fish Commission. During his absence the 

 routine work of the Department was carried on by Mr. Barton A. Bean, 

 assistant. 



The number of accessions received during the year is 38. Prominent 

 among them are a collection of fishes from Switzerland; a large collec- 

 tion of fishes from Galapagos Islands, Panama, British Columbia, 

 Alaska, and other regions in the Pacific Ocean, gathered by the natur- 

 alists of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross ; a collection of 

 American Siluroids, from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cam- 

 bridge, Massachusetts ; a series of fishes collected in the Yellowstone 

 Park, by Dr. David S. Jordan and his assistants, transmitted by the 

 U. S. Fish Commission. The Fish Commission has also deposited in the 

 Museum an extensive collection of fishes made by Dr. Jordan in several 

 of the southern and western States and Territories, during the summer 

 of 1889. 



In the catalogue of the Department 1,016 entries have been made. 

 The estimated number of specimens in the exhibition, reserve and du- 

 plicate series, is now about 122,000. 



Department of Mollusks (including tertiary fossils). — Mr. William H. 

 Dall, of the U. S. Geological Survey, has continued to take charge of 

 this department. He has been assisted in the scientific work of the 

 Department by Dr. R. E. C. Stearns, as adjunct curator, and by Mr. 

 Frank Burns and Mr. Gilbert Harris, of the Geological Survey, by whom 

 several important results have been accomplished. Considerable prog- 

 ress has been made in the determination, assorting, and labeling of 

 material. Special reports upon collections received from the Fish Com- 

 mission, the Navy Department^ the Department of Agriculture, the 

 Revenue Marine Service, and other sources have been made. A pre- 

 liminary report upon the collections of the Albatross has been com- 

 pleted, and a report upon the collections made by the Eclipse Expedi- 

 tion to Africa is in course of preparation. 



Mr. Dall has partially completed a report upon the Plio-Miocene lnol- 

 lusk fauna of Florida, the first part of which is now beiug printed by 

 the Wagner Free Institute of Science, in Philadelphia. 



