24 



COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY- 



[Jan. 



EErORT OX THE DEPARTMEXT OF COXCHOLOGY. 



By John G. Anthony, Assistant in Conchology. 



In my last report, I mentioned that the Pease collection of 

 shells, purchased some time previously, was then nnder a 

 jDrocess of identification and incorporation with our previous 

 collection. The plan pursued required a complete revision 

 and reidentification of all the species then on hand, and was 

 necessarily a slow and laborious undertaking. It was, how- 

 ever, thought advisable to make the work so critical and 

 thorough that it would not be necessary to recur to it again 

 for a long period. 



The same plan has been pursued during the entire year now 

 drawing to a close, and a very considerable progress has been 

 made. I can now state definitely that upwards of eleven 

 thousand species have been carefully examined, named, and 

 roughly catalogued, preparatory to being copied into the 

 Record Book which has been so long waiting for this purpose. 



So far as we have proceeded up to this time, we have dealt 

 with univalve shells alone, reserving our bivalves for next 

 year's study. In this examination and identification I have 

 had the assistance of Prof. Hamlin, all the marine gasteropods 

 having passed under his revision, while my own labors have 

 been mainly directed to the careful examination and revision 

 of the fluviatile and terrestrial forms. 



As fast as identified, the species have been mounted on glass 

 or slate tablets by my daughter, whose skill in that line leaves 

 nothing to wish for, and have then been arranged in genera 

 find sub-genera, after the most approved plan known to me. 

 The space allotted for shells will not ad mil of all being placed 

 on exhibition ; but so far as practicable, the}' have been made 

 available for the purpose of study by those devoted to this 

 branch of natural history, and by the public generally. 



The plan adopted of placing our more delicate specimens in 

 glass tubes before being mounted on tablets, has proved emi- 



