give but little time to the Museum, and has been unable to make 

 his usual Report. The collections have been kept in excellent 

 condition, but of course, owing to his absence, they could not be 

 placed at the disposal of specialists, as has always been the case 

 heretofore. 



Mr. J. A. Allen, of the Museum of Natural History of New 

 York, has returned the collection of Muridae which had been sent 

 to him for study. 



Professor Harrison Allen, of Philadelphia, has returned the col- 

 lection of Bats sent to aid him in the preparation of a monograph 

 on the family, for the Smithsonian Institution. 



Messrs. Scott and Osborn have returned an additional invoice 

 of the collection of Western Fossils lent to them. 



Professor S. I. Smith, of New Haven, has returned the part of 

 the " Blake " Crustacea remaining in his possession. 



Professor Solas, of Dublin, has sent back a few of the types of 

 the ; ' Blake " and other Sponges. 



Messrs. Scudder and McMurrich have returned drawings of 

 Lepidoptera and of Actiniae, which had been lent to them for 

 examination. 



We have received from Messrs. Wachsmuth and Springer a num- 

 ber of Palaeozoic Crinoids ; from Mr. Charles Chilton, a collection 

 of New Zealand Crustacea ; from the Zoological Museum of the 

 University of Copenhagen, a collection of Fishes and Invertebrates 

 from the Kara Sea, made by the Expedition of the " Dijmphna" ; 

 from the Paris Museum, a collection of Deep-sea Fishes, mainly 

 from the u Travailleur " and u Talisman " Expeditions ; from Mr. 

 Arthur H. Gordon, an interesting collection of Lepidoptera from 

 Central China ; and from Lieut. Commanding J. F. Moser, a 

 collection of Corals from the submarine cable between Key West 

 and Havana, illustrating the rate of growth of corals. (See the 

 Museum Bulletin, Vol. XX. No. 2.) 



In addition to the specimens purchased from Professor Ward, we 

 have also filled a few gaps in our collection of Reptiles, mainly for 

 the Exhibition Rooms. 



With the exception of an exhaustive Report on the Paguridae of 

 the " Blake " Expedition, for which the Museum is indebted to 

 Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards, the Blake publications and 

 collections remain in the same state as last year. The Report of 

 Professor Milne-Edwards is accompanied by twelve beautifully 



