Annual Heport.] 2t0 [May 3, 



secured, though for two weeks only. During this time he 

 completed the preliminary work of unpacking the accumu- 

 lations of the last five years and made a temporary arrange- 

 ment of the shells into families and genera. 



The whole collection is now in the cases, and as a large 

 portion is already mounted, there remains only about one- 

 half still in an unfinished state. This very largely consists of 

 duplicates, and, as suggested by Dr. Carpenter, the next step 

 to be taken is to compare the species with our named collec- 

 tion, pick out all the duplicates and make up sets for distri- 

 bution and exchange. The Amboyna mollusca, collected by 

 Mr. Albert S. Bickmore, are exceedingly valuable, as they 

 furnish us with alcoholic specimens of many Eastern species. 

 Our collection of shells without the addition of specimens in 

 alcohol, from which dissections and examinations of the ani- 

 mal may be made, is comparatively valueless. 



Dr. Carpenter also looked over, arranged, and hastily 

 named a small collection of Chitons, also the shells of Guate- 

 mala and Cape Flattery, as well as the genera and a consider- 

 able proportion of the species of the East India shells which 

 had not been named and mounted previously by Prof. E. S. 

 Morse. 



Mr. L. Lincoln Thaxter has continued the New England col- 

 lection, partly completed and mounted by Prof. E. S. Morse. 

 About fifty species have been added and the whole trans- 

 ferred to a table case where it can be more readily studied. 

 It is intended to illustrate the last edition of "Gould's Inver- 

 tebrata." 



Mr. Arthur Smith has also been employed in sorting out 

 and studying certain portions of the collection. 



FISHES AND REPTILES. 



The Custodian has received no report from the Chairman 

 of this committee. Mr. Putnam has named over three hun- 

 dred species of fishes and the labelling is nearly completed. 

 The collection is very small, and though in good condition, 





