84 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Feb. 



of Echinoderms. It is with deep regret I have to mention the inter- 

 rupted arrangement of the class of Reptiles, and its backward condi- 

 tion. Dr. Wheatland, who had begun its arrangement with much zeal 

 and success, has been obliged to relinquish his work on account of 

 ill health. The classes of Mammalia and Birds have, up to the 

 present time, received least attention, with the exception of what 

 could be done in collecting materials for future use. But among these 

 accumulated materials are immense stores of birds'-eggs, so that we 

 have embryos, preserved in alcohol, of probably a larger number of 

 species than exist in that state of preservation in any other museum. 



I have alluded above to the preparations intended to illustrate the 

 structure of the different classes of animals. Among these I have to 

 mention the skeletons prepared by Mr. Guggenheim, of which a very 

 large number have been added to the class of Fishes during the past 

 year. But the most interesting and most instructive part of the col 

 lection at present consists of the many preparations for microscopic 

 examination, made with rare skill and untiring assiduity by Mr. Wil- 

 liam Glen. They relate chiefly to the structure of the hard parts of 

 Polypi, Echinoderms, and Mollusks. The sections of shells and sea- 

 urchins are unsurpassed. Professor Clark has begun the arrangement 

 of the Hydroids, of which we have a magnificent collection. 



As there are vast numbers of objects which are rather unsightly in 

 the condition in which they may be preserved in a collection, or which 

 are naturally too small to be studied to advantage in a museum, with- 

 out special facilities, I have caused the best representations of these 

 objects , scattered through all our works on natural history, to be re- 

 produced, and systematically arranged in diagrams, which will be 

 placed by the side of the specimens in the rooms of the Museum, as 

 soon as the necessary furniture for this kind of exhibition shall be 

 completed. I owe these diagrams to the co-operation of my friend, 

 Mr. Burkhardt. 



At the close of this enumeration of the collections, it is proper that 

 I should mention, also, the fact that all the stores of specimens which 

 are not yet arranged for exhibition, and which exceed by far the num- 

 ber of specimens already placed on the shelves, have been carefully 

 examined, and the condition of each specimen ascertained, and that 

 the whole is perfectly safe and well stored. This has been a most 



