REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES IN THE 

 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



By Richard Eathbun, Curator. 



REVIEW OF ACCESSIONS. 



There was received from the U. S. Fish Commission, in April, a very 

 large and valuable collection of marine invertebrates, made by the 

 steamer Albatross in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of the Southern 

 Atlantic States between January and April of this year. An account 

 of the explorations of the Albatross during that time, with a brief 

 description of the materials obtained, is given elsewhere. The collec- 

 tion filled 775 packages, of which 21 were sixteen -gallon tanks, and 4, 

 barrels. The fishes were transferred to Dr. Bean, and the mollusks to 

 Mr. Dall, but by far the larger portion of the collection belonged to this 

 department. It is impossible at present to describe its composition in 

 detail, but an especial feature is a series of over 400 specimens of 

 stalked crinoids from off Havana, Cuba, representing 4 species. The 

 Echini have already been determined and contain fine specimens of 

 many species, which have hitherto been poorly represented in the 

 Museum collection. Of the remaining groups of Echinoderms, and of 

 Crustaceans, Anthozoa, and Sponges, there are many specimens. 



A small collection, consisting of 74 packages, was brought in by the 

 Albatross in June, as the result of a short fishing cruise made to the 

 edge of the Gulf Stream, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. In regard 

 to the Fish Commission collections received at Washington direct from 

 the steamer, it should be explained that the number of packages cited 

 gives no clew to the number either of species or specimens they contain, as 

 the material is seldom sorted before reaching Washington, being gen- 

 erally transferred in bulk to the several receptacles, from the dredge or 

 trawl, or the sieves in which it has been washed. 



In May, Prof. A. E. Verrill, of Few Haven, Conn., turned over to the 

 Museum a large collection of identified species, obtained by the Fish 

 Commission on the eastern coast of the United States during previous 

 years, and retained by him and Prof. S. I. Smith for examination. Of 

 Mollusks there were 800 packages, transferred to Mr. Dall; of Ornsta- 



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