HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 



to bring out more clearly the structure of these animals, and their 

 relation to man, large models, carefully constructed, have been pre- 

 pared. This is especially true in the lowest group of the animal king- 

 dom, namely, the Protozoans. The models are constructed in wax and 

 glass, and are worked out with the most careful detail. 



The sponge collection represents extensively the forms found in 

 Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Japan. Almost all of this material, 

 sponges. excepting that from Japan, was collected by Professor R. P. Whit- 



field. A series of siliceous sponges from Japan, containing exception- 

 ally fine examples, was purchased in 1901. The collection contained 

 thirty-seven specimens, representing twenty-six species. 



The superb collection of corals is representative of the forms found 

 in the East and West Indies, Bermudas, Bahamas, Hawaiian Islands, 

 New Zealand, and Florida, and have been acquired largely through 

 the generosity of Mr. Percy R. Pyne, Mrs. R. P. Dana, Mr. D. Jackson 

 Steward, the Pacific Mail S. S. Company, Dr. D. Bryson Delavan, and 

 Professor R. P. W T hitfield. One hundred and twenty-five unusually 

 Corals. fine specimens from Florida and the Pacific Ocean were given by Mr. 



Pyne in 1885. Some beautiful forms were contained in a collection 

 from the West Indies, given by Mrs. R. P. Dana, and from the 

 East Indies by Mr. D. Jackson Steward. Most of the corals from 

 Florida, Bermuda, and the Bahamas were collected, and many 

 presented, by Professor R. P. Whitfield. Of special note is the 

 specimen of Madrepora palmata, which is probably the finest ever 

 collected, and the unusually large and perfect specimen of Orbicella 

 annularis. 



A representative series of corals from the Hawaiian Islands was 

 obtained on an expedition by Dr. J. E. Duerden in 1905, when 1,500 

 specimens representing between thirty and forty species were col- 

 lected, forming probably the largest collection of Hawaiian corals ever 

 made. 



An expedition to the Bahama Islands in 1908 under Dr. William 

 Morton Wheeler in search of material for use in a coral reef group 

 yielded manv choice specimens of corals, including an exceptionally 



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