48 Report of the President 



and 200 reptiles. Accessions from expeditions and purchases 

 have amounted to over 1,200 specimens of fishes (of which 200 

 were fossil), 150 amphibians and 50 reptiles. Exchanges are 

 also to be recorded with various museums, mainly European. 



Existing Fishes. — For accessions in the field of fishes in 

 general, the department is greatly indebted to Mr. Cleveland 

 H. Dodge, who has provided a fund which makes possible the 

 purchase of important material and the equipment of expedi- 

 tions. From this source have come many of the specimens 

 noted in the appended list of accessions. The Museum's 

 expedition to the Pacific coast, especially in the region of 

 southern California, has been fruitful in recent fishes. The 

 cruise of the Albatross, under the direction of Dr. Charles H. 

 Townsend, has brought to the Museum in round number 

 1,000 specimens of fish. Of these the greater number are 

 new to our collections. The deep water forms are especially 

 important, including about 200 specimens and about 45 spe- 

 cies. The shore fishes of this expedition contribute 100 species 

 unrepresented in our list. Of particular interest is the fact 

 that casts of many of the rare forms were taken from fresh 

 material by Mr. Bell, who accompanied Dr. Townsend for this 

 purpose. This is the first time that casts of freshly taken 

 deep water fishes have been prepared. 



Among the important exhibits introduced in the Gallery of 

 Recent Fishes may be mentioned a series (models in wax 

 prepared by Mr. Horter) representing all the genera of hag- 

 fishes and lampreys — the first, we believe, exhibited in any 

 museum — and of particular note, since the group illustrates, 

 more or less accurately, the beginnings of back-boned animals. 

 Another case represents a number of chimaeroids — curious 

 shark-like fishes, mainly from deep water — which have been 

 held by many to represent the oldest form of vertebrates 

 to reach the stage of skeleton and paired limbs. These 

 fishes have been modeled from well preserved specimens, 

 and are colored after sketches from life, made by the Curator 

 during trips to the Pacific. Chimseroids, it may be mentioned, 

 are rare, and few have been exhibited even in the largest 

 museums. The case of ganoids, installed during the past 



