8 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Jan. 



seum owes valuable fishes from Spain and the Danube, and to 

 the Colonial Museums of Melbourne, Sydney, Christchurch 

 and Otajo, with whom, thanks to Professors McCoy, Krefft, 

 Haast and Hector, we are now in constant relation. We have 

 continued our invoices to Calcutta, through Mr. W. Theobald, 

 Jr., and to the South African Museum from which Professor 

 Layard has sent us valuable collections. I have to mention as 

 exchanging with the Museum also, the Chicago Academy of 

 Sciences, Professors Cocchi and Seguenza, and Messrs. Appelius, 

 Rigacci, McAndrew, Morelet, Angas and Terver. 



Large invoices have been sent for examination to several 

 institutions. One most important object of the Museum is to 

 stimulate original research, and for this purpose we are ready, 

 whenever it is possible, to furnish materials for study, by for- 

 warding to other investigators, such portions of our collections 

 as are not yet arranged. 



To this end our whole collection of Sturgeons was sent to 

 Professor Dumeril at the Jardin des Plantes, our Sipunculoids 

 to Professor Keferstein, and our magnificent collection of 

 Holothurians, to Mr. Selenka, who has been making a special 

 study of these animals in the Gottingen Museum under the 

 direction of Professor Keferstein. To Dr. E. Cope of Philadel- 

 phia, and Mr. Gill of Washington, specimens have also been 

 sent for a similar object. The Museum has also continued as 

 far as possible the invoices of live stock to the Jardin des 

 Plantes. Many specimens have been sent from the Brazilian 

 Expedition, but unfortunately a great part were lost on the 

 passage to Europe. 



SPECIAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



On resuming now my position as Director of the Museum, I 

 deem it proper to make some remarks concerning its present 

 condition and prospects. And first allow me a few words upon 

 my management of its affairs since its organization. 



When the plan of a great Museum in connection with Har- 

 vard University was first suggested, nobody knew exactly what 

 should be done and still less what could be done. I was 

 intrusted with the duty of preparing a plan for its foundation, 

 and yet there was no definite standard by which to measure its 



