10 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZO-OLOGY. [Jan. 



Brazilian expedition we shall be able to start anew the business 

 of the Museum, and, with the increased materials at our 

 command, insure even more than formerly the good will of 

 kindred institutions. 



During the past year the work done at the Museum has been 

 chiefly confined to taking care of the specimens received, and 

 preparing the exchanges, which have now become quite exten- 

 sive. An examination of the special reports will show how 

 large a proportion of our additions have been derived from this 

 source. The exchanges have been discontinued in some of the 

 departments since the spring, owing to the reduced number 

 of the assistants, and have been almost entirely confined to 

 entomology, conchology, and paleontology. The additional 

 work devolving upon the assistant in charge has made it 

 impossible for him to do anything besides the usual routine 

 work of the Museum. As much work as possible was bestowed 

 upon the dry specimens, owing to the increased cost of alcohol, 

 and the paleontological collection, a great part of which had 

 thus far remained in the original packages, has been made 

 accessible by Mr. N. S. Shaler, and several exchanges have 

 been made in that department. Mr. Uhler has had charge of 

 the articulates and of the library, and is making excellent 

 progress in the entomological department, which under his 

 charge, with the assistance of Miss S. H. Cook, is gradually 

 becoming more and more useful. Owing to Mr. Uhler's 

 absence for several months in Hayti and in Maryland, for the 

 purpose of making collections for our exchanges, rather 

 less time has been devoted than during the past year to the 

 arrangement of the collection. Mr. Anthony, who started with 

 the Thayer expedition, was obliged to return on account of ill 

 health, and, having distributed the material accumulated 

 during his absence, has again taken charge of the mollusca, 

 and begun the exchanges interrupted by his departure for 

 Brazil. Mr. Glen has been in charge of the microscopical 

 department, and has devoted the greater part of his time in 

 making sections of shells and echinoderms. The number of 

 these sections has now become quite extensive, and will form a 

 most valuable addition in the final arrangement of our collec- 

 tions. Mr. Niles has been engaged in the study of the 

 erinoids, and has nearly completed their arrangement, having 



