Annual Report] 28 [May 5, 



ety's old collection, he regrets to state that it is even in worse 

 condition than he had supposed. Nearly all the type speci- 

 mens of Mighels, Gould, and others are missing ; very many 

 tablets are empty, while specimens are not infrequently mis- 

 placed. 



When a newly-appointed Curator finds his collection in a 

 disorganized condition, much time must be spent in prelimi- 

 nary work; this was the case with the last Curator, and 

 although he gave two consecutive months of attention to the 

 collection, it did not suffice to restore anything like order. 

 The subsequent removal of the specimens to their new room, 

 required a repetition of much of the old labor. With the 

 exception of the work done by the last incumbent, there is 

 no evidence of any attention bestowed upon the specimens for 

 the last fifteen years, during which time the Curator has been 

 familiar with the collection ; it is now in a worse condition 

 than it was years ago, showing, that in this case, gratuitous 

 aid has proved a failure ; and any one who has passed his eve- 

 nings and holidays in arranging a small private cabinet will 

 appreciate the amount of time which an extensive public col- 

 lection will require, where all the groups must receive im- 

 partial attention, and new donations be placed upon exhibi- 

 tion at the earliest moment. 



The Curator considers the upright wall cases in which the 

 shells are arranged as entirely unsuitable for the display of 

 the dry collection ; the very nature of such objects requires 

 their exhibition in horizontal cases, where they may be seen 

 from above. He knows of but one other museum in the coun- 

 try where an upright arrangement is adopted, and there only 

 from lack of room, — to be remedied at the earliest possible 

 moment. 



The Society is indebted to Dr. J. W. Newcomb and Mr. 

 K. E. C. Stearns for assistance they have rendered in identi- 

 fying and labelling Mollusks from the Hawaiian Islands and 

 the west coast of America. An effort will be made during 

 the coming year to complete the collection of Massachusetts 



