Dr. Fewkes has, as usual, taken charge of the Newport Marine 

 Laboratory. He has continued his work on the development of 

 Echinoderms. Four students passed a part of the summer at 

 Newport, collecting and preparing material for future work on 

 the Eyes of Lobsters and on Ascidians. 



I may mention the following persons to whom material for 

 study has been sent: Mr. J. A. Allen, Professor Cope, Lieut. 

 Thomas Casey, Dr. Joubin, Professors Leidy, Loven, Sollas, and 

 Wilder, and Mr. Robert Ridgway. A number of exchanges 

 have been made, which are mentioned in the special Reports 

 of the Museum Assistants. 



A number of specialists have made use of our collections, 

 and carried on their work for a time in the Museum building. 

 The Fish, Reptile, Bird, Insect, Invertebrate, Osteological, and 

 Palseontological collections have all been freely examined and 

 consulted during the past year. I may specially mention the 

 study of our White River beds Vertebrate Collection by Pro- 

 fessors Scott and Osborne, of which a preliminary notice has 

 been published in the Museum Bulletin ; and the systematic 

 study of a large part of our South American Fishes by President 

 Jordan, which will be incorporated in his final Report on the 

 Fishes of South America. 



The principal accessions to our collections are the following: — 



The specimens we continue to receive from Professor H. A. 

 Ward, to fill the gaps in the Birds and Mammals of our Exhibi- 

 tion Rooms ; a series of types of Chinese Fishes and Reptiles 

 from the Lyons Museum, and purchases of West Indian and 

 African species, and a number of small collections of Insects. 



A collection of Invertebrates made by the " Albatross," from 

 the U. S. Fish Commission. 



A collection of Fossils from the Secondary rocks of England, 

 selected for the Museum, through the courtesy of Dr. Woodward 

 of the British Museum, by Mr. Etheridge. 



Several collections of Fossils from Professor Shaler, a valuable 

 collection of typical Fossils presented by James Hall from the 

 Board of Regents of the State University of New York, and a 

 small collection of Fossil Mammals from the Phosphorites of 

 Southern France. 



A collection from the Middle Cambrian of the United States, 

 from Mr. C. D. Walcott of the Geological Survey. 



