1875.] 6 [Annual Report. 



greatest carelessness by the parties entrusted with its trans- 

 mission to America, after the death of Prof. Rogers in Glas- 

 gow. The sudden illness of Mr. Wm. B. Rogers in the midst 

 of his labors, unfortunately left his own collection also in 

 great disorder. But it is a matter of sincere congratulation 

 that this honored member of our Society has so far recov- 

 ered from his illness as to be again able to work with us. 

 He has already reviewed the labels of a portion of his own 

 collection, and expects to be able to continue his efforts 

 until the whole of his own and his brother's collections 

 have been revised. The southeast corner room in the 

 basement was fitted up partly with the old cases which 

 were removed from the former botanical room, and partly 

 with the cabinets of the Rogers collections, and now serves 

 as a general work room, as a lecture room and laboratory 

 for the students of the Institute of Technology, and also 

 as a storage room for the Rogers collections and the Edu- 

 cational collection. It makes a valuable addition to the 

 working facilities of the Museum, and, in fact, is indispensa- 

 ble, since there is no other room in the building suitable for 

 the general purposes of a laboratory. 



During the summer the Custodian, assisted by Mr. Rath- 

 bun, worked for the U. S. Fish Commission, under the 

 charge of Prof. S. F. Baird, to whom we are indebted for the 

 ample opportunities for collecting which were given to us. 

 The department of Marine Zoology and the Laboratory 

 were under the immediate charge of Prof. A. E. Verrill, 

 whose kindness and readiness to assist us we also desire to 

 acknowledge with many thanks. 



The service heretofore rendered by Prof. Baird to zoologi- 

 cal science has been of general usefulness, but none, it seems 

 to me has been of such wide-spread and growing importance 

 as this one. He has been able by careful management not 

 only to promote the main object of the Commission in the 

 most economical manner, but at the same time to place within 

 the reach of naturalists complete facilities for the exploration 



