4 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



now added two stories. The Museum thus gains a more finished 

 entrance and a large work-room ; the latter will be devoted to 

 the Research Collections of fossil Echinoderms. The Museum is 

 also enabled by Mr. Agassiz's generosity to undertake the renova- 

 tion of all the entrance and exhibition halls from cellar to roof, 

 and to rebuild the large central case in the African Room. 



For the Exhibition Rooms, new cases have been built in the 

 Mesozoic Room and in the European Room ; one case in the 

 Indian Room has been enlarged. For the Research Collections 

 additional cases have been provided for the Ornithological Depart- 

 ment, the alcoholic reptiles, the Entomological Department, the 

 lower invertebrates, and for the thalassographic collections. 



From Mr. William Barbour of New York the Museum has 

 received for present use five thousand dollars (85000.). Mr. 

 Barbour's generous gift will provide for the more efficient storage 

 of our Research Collections, and for some desirable specimens for 

 both research and exhibition. 



Alreadv we have bought from Mr. Barbour's donation a fine 

 egg of the Great Auk, Plautus impennis (Plate 2). This egg, 

 number 65 of Grieve's List, was originally the property of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, London ; later it was acquired by Mr. Robert 

 Champley of Scarborough, England. The Museum bought it of 

 Mr. Rowland Ward. 



In connection with the egg of the Great Auk attention may be 

 called to the following extract from the Sixth annual report of 

 the Museum 1864, (1865). Prof. Louis Agassiz, Director of the 

 Museum, wrote (p. 16-17) : " Among the most valuable accessions 

 to the Museum, during the past year, I would mention ... a perfect 

 specimen of a mummyfied pinguin (Alca impennis), presented 

 by Sir Alexander Bannermann, late governor of Newfoundland." 



This specimen, so far as I know unique to-day, was secured 

 on Funk Island, off Newfoundland, in 1863; it is figured on 

 Plate 3. 



Another most gratifying gift was received last June from the 

 Rev. Henry W. Winkley of Branford, Conn. ; it consists of a 

 large series, some 1,600 species and varieties of land shells from 

 all parts of the world, except New England. His New England 

 Collection Mr. Winkley retains for study, but he writes that he 

 thinks in time it too "will find its way to the Museum. " The 

 shells received are in excellent condition. Mr. Winkley, as a 

 member of the Class of 1881, recalls with pleasure his under- 



