7 2 Report of the President 



mens of various orders from Mr. W. S. Wright; a gift of 310 

 bees, representing 226 species, from the United States National 

 Museum; 1,600 representatives of various orders from Mrs. 

 J. B. Knapp; 28 specimens of mites, chiefly cotypes, presented 

 by Mr. H. E. Ewing ; nearly 300 insects, chiefly exotic, donated 

 by Mr. Charles Wunder ; 83 specimens of various orders, inclu- 

 sive of many paratypes, as a gift from Mr. C. J. Drake; and a 

 series of more than 500 insects, given by Mr. C. R. Kellogg of 

 Foochow, China. Notable additions by gift to the shell collec- 

 tions are Cuban specimens from Mr. Barnum Brown ; 44 speci- 

 mens of Bulimulus from Mr. E. D. Crabb of Texas ; specimens 

 showing the economic uses of shells from the McKee and 

 Bliven Button Company of Muscatine, Iowa; numerous speci- 

 mens from Mr. W. H. Weeks, and a series of marine shells 

 from Mrs. E. B. Peters. Through Professor Bashford Dean 

 numerous and valuable specimens of Japanese species were 

 secured by purchase, and a large series of marine shells was 

 obtained through exchange with Mr. W. H. Weeks. 



RECENT AND EXTINCT FISHES 

 EXISTING REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS* 



Bashford Dean, Honorary Curator 

 Mary Cynthia Dickerson, Associate Curator of Herpetology 



FISHES 

 The most notable fish placed on exhibition during 19 17 is a 

 copy of the great devilfish (Manta birostris) captured for the 

 Museum in Florida by Mr. Russell J. Coles. It has 

 been hung, as though swimming, over the fish cases on 

 the second floor and in such a manner that visitors can obtain 

 an impressive view of it looking down from the gallery above. 

 Work is in progress on two marine groups, the more important 

 of these, nearing completion, a large Blue Shark accompanied 

 by a brood of young. The introduction into a group of this 

 nature of true light and color effects has been made the subject 

 of careful study by Dr. Dean, and, as a result, a mirror simu- 

 lating the ocean surface seen from below has been introduced 



Under the Department of Ichthyology and Herpetology (see also page 193). 



