5 



students during their winter course of instruction, together with 

 books, apparatus, etc., then in use to simplify work, both for 

 pupil and teacher, and to lessen the strain which the summer 

 schools bring upon our already overburdened instructors. 



The Aquarium room is large enough not only to supply this 

 need, but also to give excellent facilities for following out any 

 special line of investigation in the Anatomy or Embryology of our 

 marine animals, under the very best circumstances. 



To facilitate the working of the establishment, a small gas 

 engine will supply the necessary power for the elevators and the 

 pumping of the water for the aquarium. 



The gallery floor of the first story will contain the Curator's 

 room, and the Library rooms, which will have in addition to the 

 reading-room a shelving capacity of 50,000 volumes, exclusive of 

 the special libraries in the rooms of the assistants. In the 

 mansard there will be a couple of rooms intended for the artist 

 of the Museum, or for special investigations, and a large lecture- 

 room, with a seating capacity for 325 persons. 



The want of proper accommodations for the instruction of under- 

 graduates and other classes in the Museum is becoming a very 

 serious matter, but it is hoped that the needed room in the addi- 

 tion to the new building will become available before the evil 

 becomes intolerable. 



Instruction has been given at the Museum by Professors Whit- 

 liey, Shaler, Farlow, Dr. James, and by Messrs. Faxon, Mark, 

 Davis, and Wadsvvorth. For the details of the courses I would 

 refer to the special reports of Professors Whitney and Shaler, and 

 to the detailed report on the Biological courses prepared by Dr. 

 Farlow and Mr. Faxon. 



The collections of the second Blake Expedition to the Carib- 

 bean Islands have been sent for final revision to Messrs. Milne- 

 Edwards and Perrier of Paris, to Dr. Steindachner, Professor 0. 

 Schmidt, Dr. Ehlers, Professor Carus, Sir Wyville Thomson, and 

 Messrs. Brady. The collections of bottom samples have been sent 

 to Mr. John Murray of Edinburgh for examination. 



Materials have also been supplied from our collections for study 

 to Professor Schwalbe of Jena. A selected collection of Echini 

 was sent to Dr. H. Ludwig to assist him in preparing a new 

 edition of the Ecliinoderms of Bronn's Thierreich. A collection 

 of Triclioptera has been sent to Mr. R. M'Lachlan of London, one 



