Report of the President 49 



year, is also noteworthy: it represents various species of 

 gar pikes, carefully mounted and colored from drawings of 

 freshly caught specimens. In this series appears for the 

 first time, we believe, a model of the rare Chinese spoonbill 

 sturgeon, Psephurus, together with an excellently colored 

 model of Polyodon from the southern Mississippi, which 

 was (in part) prepared on the spot by Mr. Franklin. The 

 hall of recent fishes exhibits also a number of newly com- 

 pleted models of bony fishes, carried out under Mr. Nichols' 

 supervision, including curiously specialized forms like the 

 seaweed fish, trunkfish, morays and pipefish, together with a 

 dozen or more well mounted skins obtained from Mr. Denton. 

 Of particular merit are mounts of trout and cyprinoids, pre- 

 pared by Mr. Francis West, in the Maine woods, from freshly 

 caught specimens. 



The Polyodon Group will occupy a position in the outer 

 hall of the Gallery of Fishes, and will be installed as soon as a 

 background is painted. Adjoining this case space has been 

 left for two groups, one of which will exhibit types of pelagic 

 fishes and the other forms from deep water, for which the ad- 

 mirable casts obtained by the Albatross will be used. 



Fossil Fishes. — From the Dodge Ichthyology Fund an 

 expedition was arranged to visit the classical Devonian locali- 

 ties in Ohio. Dr. Hussakof, during the summer, visited the 

 exposures in the neighborhood of Cleveland, Lorain, Dela- 

 ware and Sandusky, and brought back about fifty concretions 

 containing specimens of notable value. In this field little col- 

 lecting had been done during recent years, and it was found 

 that many fossil-bearing concretions had become exposed, 

 ready for harvesting. 



In the Fossil Fish Hall many changes have been made. 

 The policy has been continued of exhibiting few specimens, 

 and admirable ones. As far as practicable the plan of exhibit- 

 ing specimens on shelves has been abandoned: material 

 appears attached to panels, and the result is clearly attractive. 

 A number of new exhibits have been installed. A " fossil 

 aquarium," which represents models of a number of Old Red 

 Sandstone fishes posed as living, has proved a great addition 



