1873.] 



SENATE— No. 252. 



33 



been pushed with as great rapidity as circumstances have 

 allowed. 



In the work upon the Tertiary shells, in which is included 

 a large amount of previously untinished details of a prelimi- 

 nary kind, I have been assiduously and greatly assisted by 

 the Misses Cutler and Atkinson, who by their long experience 

 have become efficient helpers in this portion of my labor. 



A few words respecting the several different collections of 

 Tertiary fossils, which are now in process of formation, may 

 not be out of place in this report, especially as it is the inten- 

 tion to make like collections illustrative of all the other geo- 

 logic formations, and as a brief statement of their character 

 in this place should preclude the necessity for a frequent 

 repetition of the same explanation. It is the aim, and work 

 towards its realization is in constant progress, to make at 

 least five Museum collections. These are called respectively 

 the synoptical, the systematical, the faunal, the chronological, 

 and finally the students' collection. To each of them may be 

 devoted a word of explanation. 



1. The Synoptic Collection. This is to consist of a few 

 characteristic forms — choice being made of a single specimen 

 of each of a few of the more marked species — of every con- 

 siderable organic group, and is to stand as an epitome or 

 synopsis of what will be exhibited in greater detail under 

 other relations. It will thus serve to give at a glance the 

 grand characters of the whole kingdom of nature. 



2 . The Systematic Collection. In this collection each species 

 is to be represented usually by a single choice specimen, the 

 individual selected being one of the best to be found, that all 

 the characters of the species may be, to as large an extent as 

 possible, exhibited in a unique example. Of course this col- 

 lection is to be arranged according to systematic affinities, 

 irrespective of geologic age, or of any other considerations. 



3. The Faunal Collection. It is the aim to make this col- 

 lection as complete as the material will allow — to give distinct 

 prominence to every feature at all worthy of exhibition. 

 Every locality should be represented, .so far as may be, in 

 order to the fullest indications of the natural limitation and 

 distribution of species in each of the many successive live- 

 periods. All the peculiarities of the individual and of the 



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