Annual Meeting.] 4 [May 3, 



oscidea, has been solved by the purchase of a baby elephant from 

 India prepared and mounted by Professor Ward. This is old 

 enough to show a pair of tusks and yet small enough to be 

 placed on exhibition inside of one of the wall cases. 



Special Anatomical Collection. 



The alcoholic preparations have been arranged by Mr. B. H. 

 Van Vleck in room F. 



Paleontology. 



No change has taken place in this department beyond the 

 accession by purchase of a collection of fossils made by the 

 Curator in 1867 from the Cambrian, Silurian, and Devonian for- 

 mations in New York State, and formerly in the possession of the 

 Peabody Academy of Salem. This is accompanied by a catalogue 

 of 1333 entries and is partly named and labelled. The expedition 

 on the Arethusa collected about 1000 specimens, many of them 

 of great value on account of the rarity of the specimens and the 

 locality from which they come. 



Sponges. 



The withdrawal of Miss Putnam last summer put a stop to 

 any advance in this collection. This is much to be regretted 

 as it would probably in her hands have speedily become the equal 

 of any other in the Museum. The loss of this young lady's 

 assistance was due to the same inability to meet the requirements 

 of those who have to earn a living, which has repeatedly caused 

 similar accidents in former years. 



Corals and Echinoderms. 



These collections remain as when last reported. A fine spec- 

 imen of Madrepora has been received from Mr. W. B. Potter. 



Mollusks. 



Several hundreds of labels have been printed for Mr. Van 

 Vleck, completing the collections in this respect. About one 



