22 



REPORT ON THE REPTILES AND FISHES. 



By Samuel Gasman. 



In these departments the number of specimens on exhibition 

 has been considerably increased. The exhibit for the Europeo- 

 Siberian room has been selected, mounted, and put in position, 

 and many additional specimens have been placed in the other 

 rooms. The loss by evaporation from the jars on the shelves 

 has been small. A gratifying reduction of the bulk of the col- 

 lections in the storage-rooms has been rendered possible by the 

 number of identifications. Quantities of duplicates and badly 

 preserved specimens have been thrown away. Convenience in 

 handling and in storing the reserves has been greatly enhanced 

 by the space formerly occupied by the thousands of specimens 

 that have gone out. Since the thorough renovation of a couple 

 of years ago, comparatively little change is to be noticed in the 

 contents of the storage-tanks, cans, and jars. 



Receipts. — The fishes of the first Blake Expeditions have been 

 returned by Dr. Steindachner. A desirable lot was secured by 

 purchase from Prof. Ward. It included fishes, selachians, 

 batrachians, and reptiles. Among them was a fine series of 

 sea snakes, and the strange shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, 

 the type of a new order. This selachian derives an especial 

 importance from the fact that it is the only known living rep- 

 resentative of the Cladodonts, so numerous in the Middle 

 Devonian and the Subcarboniferous. It possesses the distinc- 

 tion at present of being " the o.ldest living type of Vertebrate." 

 A careful study of this species has been made, and is now being 

 illustrated in an extensive series of drawings by the Museum 

 artist, Mr. Roetter. From S. H. Sommers, Esq., has been 

 received a collection of fossil fishes from the Twin Creek shales 

 of Wyoming. We are indebted to the Fish Commissioners of 

 Massachusetts and New Hampshire for a large series of young 



