DEPARTMENT OF MOLLUSKS. 107 



as, for the safety of the material, much of it is still packed up. Not 

 until our arrearages are cleared up shall we be able to state categorically 

 the annual numerical changes in the collection, which comprises so many 

 minute objects, often some hundreds in a single box or bottle. 



The number of entries in the Museum register during the period 

 January to June, 1885, inclusive, was 5,457, averaging not less than 2.5 

 specimens each, or nearly 14,000 specimens, determined, labeled, cata- 

 logued, and registered. 



The fact that series of numbers have from time to time been set aside 

 for the use of the Fish Commission collectors, &c, and that this depart- 

 ment has not in all cases received the list corresponding to these num- 

 bers to be entered in the register, and that gaps caused by haste or in- 

 advertence have now and then been left unfilled in the older volumes of 

 the register, have rendered it impracticable to determine the total num- 

 ber of entries in any one year by subtracting the first from the last 

 number entered for that year. To avoid this confusion as much as pos- 

 sible in future, 1 have had the volumes gone over, and all gaps known to 

 be unfilled or unassigned filled up. But the gaps in the assigned series 

 cannot be filled until the original lists are all received from the Fish 

 Commission, which is now the only holder of such blank series. 



The last entry of June, 1885, was number 48,15G ; the first in Januar3 T 

 was 37,3G0, but, as before pointed out, the difference between these two 

 numbers does not indicate the correct number of entries for the period. 



The department prepared for the Fish Commission exhibit, in the 

 National Museum building, a series of economic mollusks and their 

 products. This has been catalogued in the Keports on the Centennial 

 and London Fisheries Exhibition, and was also exhibited at Berlin. The 

 New Orleans exhibit, when returned from that place (a fact accomplished 

 at the actual date of writing) and unpacked, will form the basis of an 

 exhibit in the Smithsonian building, which will be put in place as soon 

 as suitable cases are provided for it. 



It has already been explained why a categorical enumeration of the 

 material, reserve and duplicate, in the custody of this department is at 

 present impracticable, and even an estimate of it as given further on 

 must be of a very approximate nature. 



RECOMMENDATIONS AND GENERAL REMARKS. 



It has been shown that the entries of the past six months exceed some- 

 what those for the twelve months next preceding them, and there is 

 reason to believe that the coming year will show a much greater in- 

 crease. This is the result of assiduous work by all connected with the 

 department. 



The great need of the department is moderately skilled and intelli- 

 gent clerical labor. One or two persons who could be trusted to assort 

 mixed material, recognize the commoner genera, and label without con- 

 stant supervision w r ould be invaluable. 



