21 



Selachians. 



Beyond s^me identifications and changes of alcohol, little has 

 been done on the Selachians. A beautiful specimen of Stegostoma 

 for the exhibition room is the most noteworthy purchase of the 

 year. Some rare deep-water species, hitherto desiderata, have 

 been secured by the dredging operations of the Coast Survey 

 steamer " Blake." An examination of a greater portion of the 

 tanks and cans discovered very little change in the condition of 

 the specimens. 



Reptiles and Batrachians. 



A considerable amount of time has been devoted to the prepara- 

 tion of specimens for exhibition in the rooms soon to be opened. 

 A large immber of species has been secured by purchase, ex- 

 change, donation, and collecting in the field since the preceding 

 report, many of them in the way of rarities and desirable dupli- 

 cates. A tolerably complete series from the East Indies was the 

 largest purchase. Various collectors in the West Indies have 

 made substantial additions to the collections from their respective 

 localities. The European correspondents of the Museum have 

 sent valuable Asiatic, African, and European species ; and from 

 the Boston Society it has additions to the number in some 

 species previously lacking. To the North American representa- 

 tion a fine lot has been added by collection in the Territories and 

 by purchase from the Gulf States. Among the skeletons pur- 

 chased there are several turtles from North America, South 

 America, and Australia. An important series of fossil tortoises 

 was collected in the Bad-land regions of the West. The donations 

 include New England species in various stages of development, 

 and of value for exhibition and exchanges. 



