5 



site data for the compilation of an authoritative report such as 

 this circular purports to be. The author who supposes that such 

 loose methods of obtaining information can take the place of 

 careful reference to official reports, or of personal acquaintance 

 with a subject, shows his ignorance of the most rudimentary 

 principles of attacking a scientific problem. 



Considerable correspondence has taken place with the officials 

 of the Educational Exhibits and of the Fishery Exhibits of 

 the Columbian Exposition in regard to a representation of the 

 Museum at Chicago. Instructing as it might be to the public 

 to send photographs and a description of the institution as it 

 now stands, this would entail a very considerable outlay both 

 of time and money, neither of which is at the disposal of the 

 officers of the Museum for such a purpose. 



The Newport Marine Laboratory has, as usual, been placed at 

 the disposal of the advanced students in Zoology, and its tables 

 have been occupied by Messrs. Davenport, Ward, Kelfy, Kofoid, 

 Mayer, Weysse, Lucas, Woodworth, and Gerould, who were occu- 

 pied during their stay in collecting material for their special in- 

 vestigations. The work of the students was principally devoted 

 to the embryology of Mollusks, of Acalephs, and of Echinoderms. 

 Mr. Woodworth was kind enough in my absence to put the 

 Laboratory in working order for the opening of the season. 



We have to thank Colonel Marshall McDonald, United States 

 Fish Commissioner, for facilities granted our students in con- 

 nection with their work at the Fish Commission Station at 

 Wood's Holl. 



In connection with the Newport Laboratory, it is a pleasure to 

 me to report that the Museum has received from Major Theo- 

 dore K. Gibbs, of Newport, the sum of five thousand dollars to 

 establish the Virginia Barret Gibbs Scholarship Fund, the in- 

 come of which is to be devoted to assisting students interested 

 in the study of Marine Zoology. The conditions which regulate 

 the use of the income of this Scholarship are similar to those of 

 the Tyndall Fellowship, and are given in Appendix B to this 

 Report. 



But little change has taken place in any of the Exhibition 

 Rooms now open to the public. The model of the East Coast 

 of the United States has been placed in the Geographical Room, 

 but unfortunately we have been unable to make any progress 



