24 Report of the President. 



Through the courtesy of Hon. George M. Bowers, of the 

 United States Fish Commission, the Museum has received a 

 collection of 21 duplicate specimens of named Actinians from 

 Porto Rico. Practically all the specimens of these two collec- 

 tions are alcoholic, and make a most valuable addition to our 

 already magnificent collection of West Indian ccelenterates, the 

 greater part of which was obtained by Professor R. P. Whit- 

 field. A collection of invertebrate animals from the Gulf of Cali- 

 fornia has been given to the Museum by the Duke of Loubat. 



All the invertebrate material of this department has been 

 thoroughly overhauled, classified, and placed in alcoves in the 

 exhibition hall, and card catalogues of the various groups have 

 been started. 



The department has continued to have charge of the Rep- 

 tiles, Batrachians and Fishes, in addition to the invertebrate 

 animals. 



Several interesting and important additions have been made 

 to our collection of fishes. From Hon. George M. Bowers, the 

 department has received specimens (co-types) of a new genus 

 and species of fish, Mistichthys luzonensis, from the Philippine 

 Islands, the smallest known vertebrate. Special mention 

 should be made of the donations of Mr. John Hiscox, who has 

 given many specimens which were required in experiments on 

 the preservation of fish. A good nucleus of a collection of 

 common food fishes was secured by Messrs. Sherwood and 

 Figgins, who spent several weeks during the summer at Woods 

 Hole. 



The New York Zoological Society and the Department of 

 Parks have been the principal donors of reptiles and batrachians. 



The following papers have been published during the year: 

 "Boring Alg?e as Agents in the Disintegration of Corals," by 

 J. E. Duerden; "The Sequoia: A Historical Review of Bio- 

 logical Science " by George H. Sherwood. 



Department of Entomology. — The Curator of Ento- 

 mology reports that the Hoffman Collection of Butterflies has 

 been transferred to the new cases. He states that 4,600 

 specimens of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera were numbered and 



