1876.] 



SENATE— No. 10. 



9 



North American Coleoptera, and is the most valuable histor- 

 ical collection of the order in this country. The collection 

 of North American birds' eggs, by Dr. T. M. Brewer, is 

 second only to that of the Smithsonian ; and from the high 

 authority of Dr. Brewer in ornithology, the gift of his collec- 

 tion places us at once in a most enviable position in that 

 department. Mr. Temple Prime has given us the types of 

 his collection of Corbiculidce, a family of Mollusks, to which 

 he has mainly devoted himself. The letters of these gentle- 

 men, accompanying their donations, are printed in the 

 Appendix. 



For the regular instruction given at the Museum, I would 

 refer to the reports of Profs. Shaler and McCrady. In 

 addition to this. Dr. Hagen has given a course of familiar 

 lectures on entomology, which has been attended by seven 

 students. He has also superintended the work of one 

 special student in his laboratory. Prof. Hamlin has been de- 

 tailed this term to take charge of the undergraduate instruc- 

 tion in structural geolog}^ and physical geography, formerly 

 given by Assistant Professor Pettee. This has somewhat 

 lessened the amount of his Museum work, but the Cura- 

 tor has cheerfull}' consented to this diminution in view 

 of his increasing usefulness in another direction. I would 

 call attention to the great advantages given to the Museum 

 students from their opportunity^ to attend the Summer School 

 of Geology at Cumberland Gap, inaugurated by Prof. Shaler 

 in connection with the field work of the geological survey 

 of Kentucky. Owing to the unfortunate closing of the 

 Anderson School at Penikese, similar privileges could not be 

 enjoyed by the special students of zoolog}^ The field work 

 and special investigations done by them in the summer was 

 mainly left to their own resources, wdth the exception of two 

 special students whom I was able to invite to work in my 

 private laboratory at Newport. The necessary rooms and 

 material have been placed at the disposal of Dr. James to 

 enable him to give the college instruction of physiology and 

 comparative anatomy to the undergraduates at the Museum. 

 He has under his charge the present term about forty stu- 

 dents, who are taught by lectures and laboratory work. 

 Prof. Whitne}^ has begun to collect, in the limited space 



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