16 



while in other cases specimens have been loaned for examination 

 and study. Among those who have thus made use of our material 

 are Messrs. William Brewster of Cambridge, Charles B. Cory of 

 Boston, D. G. Elliot, George N. Lawrence and George B. Sennett 

 of this city, and Robert Ridgway and Dr. L. Stejneger of Wash- 

 ington. On the other hand, the curator has been greatly aided in 

 his work by similar favors on the part of several of the gentlemen 

 above named, and by the loan of material from other Museums, as 

 the National Museum at Washington, the Cambridge Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology, and the Museum of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History. 



Under the State law for the protection of birds the Museum 

 has continued to issue permits, to properly accredited persons, for 

 collecting birds for scientific purposes. The first permits were is- 

 sued in July, 1886, since which time permits have been granted to 

 thirty-five persons, sixteen of whom have allowed them to lapse, 

 fourteen have renewed them once, and four others twice. 



DEPARTMENTS OF INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY, 

 FISHES AND REPTILES. 



[Temporarily under the charge of Mr. J. A. Allen.] 



The additions to this department include a valuable collection 

 of Frogs and Turtles from New Jersey, presented by Mr. M. S. 

 Crane ; a small collection of Snakes from Florida, presented by 

 Mr. Arnold Kunth ; a large and important collection of Reptiles 

 and Batrachians from Arizona, presented by Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. 

 S. A.; two rare Gopher Turtles from Arizona, presented by Mr. 

 Herbert Brown ; a case of East Indian Starfishes, from an unknown 

 source ; a very large, finely mounted Florida Tarpon {Mega/ops 

 thrissoides), presented by Mr. John G. Heckscher, of this city, and 

 about 100 Bolivian Snakes and Lizards, purchased. 



Little work has been done upon the collections, beyond caring 

 for their safety, since the lamented death of the former curator, 

 Dr. J. B. Holder. The collections prove to be in excellent order, 

 the alcoholic portions having been all catalogued and conveniently 

 arranged. The Reptiles number 494 entries, the Batrachians 164 

 entries, and the Fishes 407 entries. The cataloguing of the Inver- 

 tebrates had not been reached at the time of Dr. Holder's death. 

 The collection remains about as reported last year, the dry speci- 

 mens being arranged for exhibition on the first floor, and the alco- 

 holics remaining stored in the curators room and in cases along 

 the corridor of the fifth floor. 



