1868.] SENATE— No. 218. 11 



The classes of animals now completely identified and ready 

 for exhibition in the Museum are the Echinoderms, the Acalephs 

 and the Corals. Next to them, the Mollusks and Reptiles are 

 the most advanced. The identification of the Reptiles has been 

 the work of the late Professor Jan of Milan, of Professor Baird 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, of Professor Cope of Philadel- 

 phia, and myself. The Shells have been identified by Mr. 

 Anthony, his identification being based to a considerable extent, 

 so far as the American species are concerned, upon a direct 

 comparison with original specimens from the collections of the 

 authors by whom the species were first described. The Corals 

 have been chiefly identified by Professor Verrill, of Yale Col- 

 lege, while assistant in the Museum, and frequently compared 

 with the original specimens described by Dana. Of late the 

 arrangement has been continued by Mr. Lyman. The Echino- 

 derms and Acalephs have been identified by myself and my son, 

 Alexander Agassiz. Our collection of Radiates is probably the 

 largest in the world. 



The occasion justifies some additional remarks. When an 

 administration asks for a large appropriation, the director is 

 bound to submit an account of its proceedings. Now, I believe 

 we can come before the public with confidence, and present 

 the results thus far reached as evidence that the means placed 

 at our command from the beginning to this day, have been 

 judiciously applied. 



When the Museum of Comparative Zoology was started, there 

 existed no scientific collections in the United States having a 

 world-wide reputation, and to which naturalists of all nations 

 could resort for information. I mean to be just to all the 

 local institutions, akin to ours, which existed before ; I am 

 therefore bound to say that they were all local in their charac- 

 ter, or limited to particular objects. Now, we have collections 

 that may contribute to the advancement of all departments of 

 Zoology and Palaeontology, and some of them have already been 

 made the basis of extensive investigations, nay, have fur- 

 nished materials for important monographic works published in 

 Europe, by Messrs. Jan, Keferstein, Ehlers, Selenka, Gegenbaur, 

 and others. I may also be permitted to add that our institu- 

 tion has had its full share in raising the standard of scientific 



