6 



The greater part of our collection of North American Spi- 

 ders, which had been sent to Count Keyserling for study, has 

 been returned. He has during the past ten years published 

 several papers largely based upon the material received from the 

 Museum. 



Professor Lesquereux has returned the fossil plants sent him 

 to assist in the preparation of his Report on Cretaceous Plants 

 for the United States Geological Survey. 



We have also received two additional invoices of wax models 

 from Drs. Ziegler and Weisker, for the use of the Instructors in 

 Zoology. 



The Museum is again indebted to Messrs. Brewster, Cabot, 

 Lyman, and Slade, for their interest in behalf of their respective 

 departments. We also owe to Mr. Augustus Hemenway the 

 collections made by Dr. Fewkes while he accompanied him on 

 the Pacific coast. 



As will be seen from the Reports of the Assistants, the condi- 

 tion of the collections continues excellent. In proportion as the 

 gaps in our Exhibition Rooms are filled, the care of the collec- 

 tions in the various departments becomes less and less a burden. 

 By carefully considering our purchases and other acquisitions, the 

 Assistants will, I hope, be able to devote more and more of their 

 time to original work. 



A large amount of material ready for exhibition has been 

 placed in both the Atlantic and Pacific Rooms, and many gaps 

 have been filled in our other Exhibition Rooms. 



For the Tertiary Exhibition Room a fine restoration of Di- 

 noceras has been purchased, through the kindness of Profes- 

 sor Marsh, and has been prepared and mounted by Mr. J. H. 

 Emerton. 



Professor Hyatt has so far advanced with the preliminary 

 arrangement of our Invertebrate Fossils, that, for the first time in 

 the history of the Museum, it has become possible to form some 

 opinion of the value of our collection. The Museum is indebted 

 to Messrs. Jackson and Brooks for the assistance they have ren- 

 dered to Professor Hyatt while engaged in the Palseontological 

 collections. 



Professor Faxon has kindly continued in charge of our col- 

 lection of Crustacea, and he has spent considerable time on his 

 Revision of the Cray-Fishes. 



