8 MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Apr. 



putting up specimens. There are at this moment 26,250 

 tablets of shells, representing 67,749 specimens, a large propor- 

 tion of which, for want of room, are hidden in drawers and 

 cases. I cannot sufficiently praise the perseverance and 

 industry of Mr. Anthony, who is indefatigable in his care of 

 this collection. 



Mr. Allen's report shows a considerable increase in the 

 collection of Mammalia and Birds, during the past year, but we 

 were obliged to be cautious in admitting larger additions in this 

 department, on account of our deficiency of room. With our 

 present prospect of increased accommodation any difficulty on 

 this score is removed for the future. The most important ad- 

 dition to the mammalia has been a very valuable collection of 

 seals and walrus from Alaska, which we owe to Mr. Charles 

 Bryant, of Fairhaven. In birds the chief additions are from 

 Florida and the West Indies. In the systematic arrangement 

 of these collections, much has been accomplished, and the record 

 of the year, in this respect, is very satisfactory. 



I refer to the reports of Mr. Shaler and Mr. Perry for an 

 account of the fossil collections. 



Mr. Shaler's report is especially interesting from the notice 

 of excavations, undertaken partly at his own expense, partly 

 through the generosity of Mr. James M. Barnard, the constant 

 friend of the Museum, in Big-Bone Lick. These excavations 

 have been already very productive and promise larger results 

 in the future, the more so from the facilities affi3rded us by the 

 liberality of Mr. McLaughlin, owner of the ground, who has 

 been exceedingly kind, and seems to take a cordial interest in 

 the results of our effijrts. Mr. Shaler has continued his courses 

 of instruction, both in the lecture room and in the field. He 

 has added to his University courses of lectures, those given as 

 Professor of Paleontology, in the Mining School, also delivered 

 in the hall of the Museum. His appointment tp this new post 

 leaves his former connection with the Museum unchanged, and 

 indeed, widens the sphere of usefulness of our institution, 

 inasmuch as it now affords the means of special study to a class 

 of students who thus far have derived little or no benefit from it. 



It will be seen that under the care of Mr. Perry great prog- 

 ress has been made in arranging and cataloguing the tertiary 

 fossils and the fossil Corals, while numerous special collections 



