1867.] SENATE— No. 52. 31 



Since our last report much other work has been done in this 

 department, principally in the direction of identifying and 

 arranging the marine portion of our conchological collection, 

 which has hitherto remained in much confusion. As fast as 

 identified they have been removed to the room devoted mainly 

 to conchology and placed in the cases for exhibition, and are 

 fully ready for being mounted on tablets, and are in proper 

 order for being duly catalogued, two very desirable objects 

 which we hope to see accomplished before our next report. 

 During this work we have found a great hindrance in the want 

 of the necessary books in our library to enable us to identify 

 with precision the objects intrusted to our care, and on this 

 account many of the univalves and most of the bivalves remain 

 undetermined. 



Most of our duplicate shells have been assorted and arranged 

 so as to be readily accessible for our exchanges, and are so 

 numerous and well adapted to foreign exchanges that we may 

 rely upon this source of supply with perfect confidence for 

 many years in the increase of our general collection. 



The preparation of so many exchanges, and the correspond- 

 ence necessarily involved in such labors, has also occupied 

 much of our time and attention, and, as a general result, we 

 may state that the collection is in a much more satisfactory con- 

 dition than at any previous period. 



Report on the Radiates, by Alex. Agassiz. 



The additions to the Radiates have been much more impor- 

 tant than during the past year, and several of the invoices quite 

 valuable. I would mention particularly the Corals from St. 

 Thomas, and the Echinoderms from Guadaloupe and from Bra- 

 zil, which we owe to Dr. Duhassaing, Dr. Fritz Muller, Dr. 

 Schramm, and the Thayer Expedition. 



Eight collections of Radiates were sent off during the past 

 year, containing over 675 specimens, and representing about 

 350 species. 



Donations were received from the following sources : — 



