Report of the President 33 



The study collections have been examined, recatalogued 

 and inventoried. This inventory shows in round numbers the 

 following specimens and species: 



Number of specimens Number of species 



Fishes (living) 2, 100 600 



Fishes (fossil) 8,900 800 



Amphibians i,775 150 



Reptiles 4,500 550 



The department is fortunate in having a generous fund 

 at its disposal through the endowment of Mr. Cleveland H. 

 Dodge. All important accessions are due to this fund. 



In the Hall of Fossil Fishes the acquisition of new material 

 has made desirable certain readjustments in the exhibition 

 series. Above the main entrance a restoration of the jaws of 

 a gigantic shark, Carcharodon megalodon^ has been displayed. 

 An innovation in the installation is the introduction of an 

 "aquarium" containing a dozen or more models of fishes illus- 

 trating the fossils in the adjoining cases. The types repre- 

 sented occur in a single horizon and in a single locality in the 

 Old Red Sandstone of Scotland. 



In the Gallery of Recent Fishes few changes have been 

 made. These consist mainly in the introduction of character- 

 istic forms which hitherto have not been represented. 



Progress has been made in the preparation of a large 

 bullfrog habitat group by Mr. Dwight Franklin, designed 

 to epitomize the activities and economics of this, our most 

 typical, amphibian. 



Collecting has been carried on in Puget Sound by Dr. 

 Edwin C. Starks, under a grant from the Dodge Fund; in 

 North Carolina, by Dr. Hussakof and Mr. Russell J. Coles; 

 on Long Island, by Mr. Nichols, and a well-equipped expedi- 

 tion, under the direction of the Messrs. Ernesto and Alessan- 

 dro Fabbri, has begun its collecting work among the Florida 

 reefs, on the yacht "Tekla. " Almost the entire equipment 

 has been provided by the Messrs, Fabbri, who have also 

 generously offered their vessel and their services for the fur- 

 therance of the scientific work of this department. 



