12 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.  [Feb. 
collection, but has given his special attention to the arrange- 
ment of the bivalve shells. Mr. Perry has had charge of the 
tertiary fossils in general, but has been especially occupied with 
the arrangement of the Gasteropods. Mr. Lesquereux has 
been engaged upon the fossil plants. The reports of these gen- 
tlemen have left me little to add concerning the condition of 
these collections. I have to lament my inability thus far to 
provide for the arrangement of the fossil vertebrates, but I hope 
to remedy this deficiency in the course of the present year. I 
regret the neglect of these collections the more deeply because 
they contain a considerable number of rare and valuable speci- 
mens. The magnificent series of Dinornis, for instance, which 
the Museum owes to the liberality of Dr. Haast, will be one of 
its greatest ornaments, whenever these specimens can be 
mounted. 
Report on the Fossil Plants of the Museum of Comparative 
Zoélogy, by L. LEesQuerEux. 
The work done this year to increase, arrange and improve 
the collections of fossil plants of the Museum is scarcely impor- 
tant enough to furnish materials for a report. But as it is 
essential, not only to mark the progress of the collections, but 
also to indicate the means of increasing them, and of render- 
ing those already acquired more useful, and therefore more 
valuable, it is proper, to say a few words of the actual state of 
the department of botanical paleontology, by reporting what 
has been done in it this year, and what should have been done 
under more favorable circumstances. 
The report of the past year mentions, § 11, page 15, a num- 
ber of specimens still in boxes in the magazine, which, from 
want of place, had not been exhibited, and which were still 
undetermined. The examination of these specimens has been 
completed this year, and all have been provided with labels 
bearing specific names, together with the names of the donors 
or former proprietors of the specimens, and indications of the 
localities whence they were obtained. At the same time, they 
have been assorted according to the age of the formations to 
which they belong. 
