24 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



REPORT ON THE FISHES. 



By Samuel G arm an. 



Shrinkages in additions to the collections during the years of 

 the war have permitted more attention to previous donations and 

 purchases, to examinations and comparisons of accumulations of 

 duplicates and other specimens gathered during long periods by 

 many students in the furtherance of their investigations, material 

 laid aside for consideration in times of expected leisure that 

 never came, or had been overlooked in changes of interest. The 

 manipulation of these accretions led to surprises in discovery of un- 

 suspected values, and at the same time induced numerous reduc- 

 tions in bulk on the shelves or in greater increase in economies of 

 alcohol and glass ware. 



Among the results in searches in the older material has been the 

 discovery or recovery of numerous specimens of historical interest, 

 the importance of which does not diminish in the length of time 

 since their original notices. All this is included in the care of the 

 collections; it was accompanied by skeletal and other anatomical 

 preparations for later publication, by revision of work formerly 

 done, and by continuation of uncompleted researches. 



