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MUSEUM OF COMPARATIYE ZOOLOGY. [Apr. 



have in these genera five hundred and twenty-seven species, 

 mounted on two thousand one hundred and sixteen tablets, 

 with five thousand eight hundred and ninety specimens, and 

 for beauty and perfection in every respect, our collection of 

 Naiades will compare most favorably with the best on this 

 continent. 



We are more deficient in marine shells, and the work of 

 mounting and identification is less advanced in this part of the col- 

 lection than in the terrestrial and fluviatile genera. The genera 

 most perfectly worked up in marine forms are Conus, Cypraea, 

 Marginella, Yoluta and Columbella. Of Conus we have named 

 one hundred and seventy species, of Cypraea over one hundred 

 and fifty, and of Marginella over seventy species, all mounted 

 on tablets. We trust that we shall be able during the coming 

 year to get our marine shells more thoroughly worked up, and 

 be prepared in our next report to give a better account of them. 



In summing up the results of our present year's labors, we 

 see no reason for discouragement. Our course has hitherto 

 been steadily onward, and we hope to continue in the same 

 direction, with an accelerated progress. 



Report on the collection of Fossil Remains in general, by Pro- 

 fessor N. S. Shaler, assistant in Palceontology . 



During the past year the work of cataloguing the collections 

 has been pushed as rapidly as possible, with such success that 

 at the present time almost all the specimens have been secured 

 against risk of displacement. The whole collection has been 

 placed on racks so that there is no longer any difficulty in 

 obtaining in a moment any specimen which may be sought. 

 Considerable progress has been made in the work of zoological 

 and stratigraphical arrangement ; about one-half of our stores 

 are now so far advanced that they are ready for that mechanical 

 work which will fit them for exhibition on our shelves. Several 

 persons have been employed in the work of cleaning the fossils 

 during the past few months, so that it is only required that they 

 be properly mounted on tablets to complete the work of prepara- 

 tion. Of the persons engaged in this work, three are young women, 

 who have been constantly employed. They are paid by the hour, 



