30 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Jan. 



and several of the faunal collections, have also been advanced 

 during the year. ; * 



The want of glass jars delays the arrangement very much, 

 as now, with few exceptions, it has to be carried on by using 

 large earthen jars, kegs and barrels of all sizes. This occa- 

 sions a large amount of extra labor in tying parchment num- 

 bers to the specimens that are to be kept in these vessels, which 

 would be avoided by the use of glass jars, containing only one 

 species from a single locality. There is also much time wasted 

 in finding any particular specimen, when needed for comparison. 

 In a collection of between six and seven thousand species, this 

 becomes quite a serious matter. An idea may be formed of 

 the amount of labor required to keep this collection in order, 

 by the fact that there are now in use, one hundred and ninety- 

 nine barrels, kegs, and earthen jars, of sizes varying from five 

 to forty gallons, besides one large tank and over ten thousand 

 glass jars of all sizes. 



During the year, the additions to this department have been 

 quite large, amounting to 4,537 specimens, comprising 630 

 species. Of these, 353 were new to our collection, and many 

 of them are representatives of undescribed species and genera. 

 These specimens were received from sixty-two different sources, 

 and with one or two exceptions, they are preserved in alcohol. 

 Many fossil fishes have been received during the year, but owing 

 to want of room for their arrangement, they have not yet been 

 separated from other fossils received at the same time. 



Special large collections of our native species have been 

 made for the purpose of having an ample supply to send to 

 such persons or institutions as may apply for them for scientific 

 use. For this purpose, Professor Agassiz has collected many 

 specimens at Nahant, and the valuable services of Captain 

 Atwood, of Provincetown, have been secured. During my 

 vacation, which was spent on Lake Champlain, I collected 

 largely for the same purpose, the expenses being borne by the 

 Gray Fund. 



Much has also been done in forming a collection of young 

 fishes, to illustrate their mode of growth. 



There has seldom been a year when so many valuable collec- 

 tions have been received, as during the present, and I would 

 call special attention to the following : 



