1862.] MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 83 



glance, a whole class under the eye ; while the bulk of specimens, 

 illustrating the species, is referred to the faunal collections. And I 

 need not repeat here what I have stated again and again, on other 

 occasions, that the great deficiency of other museums, and especially 

 of the large public collections, consists in the scanty representation of 

 the species, and the monotony with which a single male and female, 

 or sometimes even a single specimen, are allowed to be the only pro- 

 vision made for the study of an animal which, to be well known, ought 

 to be examined in an ample series of specimens of all ages, of both 

 sexes, and in every possible state of preservation. What are fre- 

 quently called characteristic specimens, and paraded singly as types, 

 are but too often thus set aside by unscientific keepers of museums, in 

 order that they may have an opportunity of disposing of other speci- 

 mens for exchanges, and thus increasing the nominal number of the 

 species in their collections. 



The arrangement alluded to above has thus far only been partially 

 carried out in our Museum, from want of room to display the collec- 

 tions, and from want of time and assistants needed to accomplish the 

 immense amount of work and research rendered necessary by such an 

 arrangement. But I may already point out the classes of Polypi and 

 Echinoderms, as showing what the Museum may be, when its organ- 

 ization is further advanced ; and it is but justice to those concerned 

 to state, that Mr. A. E. Verrill has been intrusted with the details of 

 the arrangement of the Corals, and Mr. A. Agassiz with that of the 

 Echinoderms, The classes most advanced, next to these, are that of 

 the Fishes, of which Mr. F. W. Putnam has charge, and the Mollusks, 

 upon which Messrs. Morse, Hyatt, and Shaler are engaged. The 

 arrangement of the Crustacea was also well advanced, when the w r ar 

 deprived me of the efficient assistance of Mr. Ordway. The prelimi- 

 nary arrangement of the Insects, begun by my son and now intrusted 

 to Mr. Scudder, is advancing slowly, and yet as satisfactorily as could 

 be expected, where such large numbers of specimens are concerned. 

 In the arrangement of the fossil Cephalopods, which is nearly com- 

 plete, Mr. Hyatt has shown much perseverance and devotion to the 

 Museum. Among the Worms, my son has arranged the Annelids, 

 but the Helminths await still a trustworthy curator. Messrs. Bick- 

 more and Bowditch have made a considerable number of preparations 



