Raymond 

 Lee Ditmars. 

 1891-1897. 



HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 



results of which formed valuable contributions to the knowledge of 

 entomology. 



Mr. Raymond Lee Ditmars, the present Curator of Reptiles in the 

 New York Zoological Park, served the Museum as Assistant Curator 

 of Entomology from 1891 until 1897. He also prepared the Museum's 

 Guide Leaflet on "Reptiles of the Vicinity of New York City," which 

 was published in 1905. 



INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 



Protozoans. 



The present Department of Invertebrate Zoology was established 

 in 1901. The departments of Conchology and Entomology were 

 merged in it in 1909. The collections in Invertebrate Zoology, except 

 in regard to shells, developed slowly through the first years of the 

 Museum's life, though many gifts of corals, sponges, sea urchins, etc., 

 were received before the Arsenal was vacated. In 1885 this material 

 was brought over to the new building where, because of lack of space, 

 only the most important specimens were exhibited, the remainder 

 being stored in the basement, where it remained until about 1890. 

 Most of the collections, excepting the models of the lower invertebrates, 

 which were made at the Museum, have been acquired through gift and 

 expeditions. Until 1901 Prof. R. P. Whitfield served as curator of 

 these collections. 



The first important accession to this Department was the collec- 

 tion of corals presented in 1885 by Mr. Percy R. Pyne. 



'Invertebrate material ranging from mollusca and crustaceans 

 through the lowest branches of the animal kingdom, from the Atlantic 

 and Pacific waters, have been received at various times since 1873 as 

 a result of the deep-sea dredgings conducted by the United States 

 Fish Commission. 



Many of the animals in the various groups of invertebrates are so 

 minute, or their anatomical structure is so complicated, that it is not 

 practicable to place the original specimens on exhibition. In order 



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