10 



COMPAEATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



[Jan. 



we have been able to place at his disposal, the materials 

 for the proper illustration of the geological department. He 

 also delivers a general course on geology at the Museum, 

 attended by students. In connection with the instruction 

 given at the Museum, I may mention that a considerable 

 number of diagrams have been prepared for the use of the 

 zoological department by Mr. Blake, and that during the 

 coming term he will be mainly occupied in drawing for the 

 geological department. The largely increasing classes in 

 natural history have made us painfully aware of our deficien- 

 cies in the common apparatus necessary for instruction, 

 which can for the present only be supplied by additional 

 work on the part of the professors. This condition of things 

 will be remedied as fast as practicable. The want of aqua- 

 ria, as well as of proper space to keep live stock for the use 

 of the students and professors, is felt daily. Unfortunately, 

 we can scarcely hope to remedy this defect until the proposed 

 additions to the building are completed. We shall then have 

 suitable rooms, not only for the aquaria, in which to keep an 

 abundant supply of the more common marine animals, but 

 also the space to keep at hand animals needed for embryolog- 

 ical as well as anatomical and physiological instruction. 



During the present year the experiment, already carried on 

 for one year, of gradually concentrating all the instruction in 

 natural history at the Museum, has been enlarged most suc- 

 cessfully. The combination of Museum work by the assist- 

 ants with more or less instruction to beginners and advanced 

 students, cannot fail to benefit the Museum, by making 

 known the scope of its usefulness. Nor does it seem advisa- 

 ble that the instruction in natural history, and the care of the 

 collections in the same department, should be intrusted to 

 different sets of workers. The Museum, when once fairly 

 established, can hardly be expected to provide entirely for 

 all its assistants, while the practical knowledge to be gained 

 from the care of a special department is a necessary requisite 

 for a successful teacher. 



It is therefore with great satisfaction that I am able to 

 report the assent of the corporation to the connection of the 

 instruction in several departments of natural history at the 

 University with the Museum ; this will hasten the accom- 



