13 



become the property of the Museum. Also, an interesting and 

 valuable display of sponges and the kindred beautiful forms, re- 

 mained without provision in the new building. 



" One of the many examples of exhibitions planned at this time 

 consisted of a collection of commercial sponges, showing their 

 economic value, as well as technical relations. 



" The Fish Commission had presented most valuable material, 

 the results of their dredgings on the North Atlantic coast. 



" The large collection of fishes and reptiles in alcohol, and the 

 most valuable one of mounted fishes and reptiles, purchased of 

 Prince Maximilian, of Nieu Wied, Germany, remained stored at 

 the Arsenal, unprovided at the new building with room for public 

 exhibition. 



"Besides these, great numbers of crustaceans, echinoderms and 

 others of the lower forms of invertebrates remain in bulk, wholly 

 out of sight of the public. 



" Regarding the great degree of unfamiliarity prevailing, as to 

 the nature of the vast numbers of our indigenous marine inver- 

 tebrates, it is of the first importance that suitable room be assigned 

 for their display. Indeed, the lack of exhibition space at the 

 present time seriously endangers the proper growth of the depart- 

 ment embracing such forms. The exceptional opportunities for 

 collecting, generously accorded the Museum by the Fish Com- 

 mission, are now of rare value, and not likely to occur again. 



" In view of the manifestly unsafe . situation of our collections 

 stored at the Arsenal, it was thought wise to remove most of them, 

 even though they be stored in the basement of the new building, 

 and bestowed temporarily in cases which will soon be impera- 

 tively demanded for legitimate purposes of the respective halls. 



" It will thus be seen that one whole, and a very important 

 department of the Museum, embracing at present reptiles, batra- 

 chians and fishes, insects, crustaceans, mollusca, in alcohol, and 

 the innumerable forms of lower invertebrates is practically ex- 

 cluded from suitable public exhibition. Perhaps a more definite 

 idea of the importance of this exclusion may be obtained by 

 stating that the above are embraced technically under every grand 

 branch of the animal kingdom; the birds and mammals of one of 

 the branches being the only exceptions to a complete summary. 



"The collection of corals has been increased' by a most im- 

 portant and beautiful gift from Percy R. Pyne, Esq., consisting 

 of rare and exceptionally fine species from the Pacific Ocean. 



" These have been placed on exhibition for the present in cases 

 in the Hall of Mammals. The species have been named, and 

 suitable labels attached. 



" The collections of crustaceans, sponges and others have also 

 been placed in the same locality. 



