HYATT: REPORT OF THE CURATOR. 
47 
difficulties in the way of progress in this department consist in the 
amount of time demanded by every step, even the labeling of the 
preparations already in place being very difficult. The absence of 
means sufficient to purchase the necessary preparations, and the need 
of building up others piece by piece occasion loss of time and 
wearisome delays that cannot be avoided. 
Synoptic Collection. 
A large amount of work has been done on this collection this 
year as in the past by Miss J. M. Arms, and the following is an 
account in detail of her work. 
The palaeozoic corals have been studied, and representative 
species for nine genera have been selected. A number of fossils 
have also been selected from the lot purchased of Mr. Greene. The 
development and geologic history of crinoids have been studied, and 
thirty-three illustrations and a number of specimens selected to rep¬ 
resent the genera, and about forty-five pages of text written. 
The asterioids, ophiurioids, and holothurioids have been worked 
upon, and illustrative figures selected. Clypeasteroids and spatan- 
goids have been studied and some preparations made, and fifty 
pages of the text of the Guide on Echinozoa have been written. 
Pteropoda have been revised in connection with new materials 
received, and the text of the corresponding part of the Guide revised. 
A very valuable preparation of a fossil trilobite, Triarthrus beckii, 
showing the antennae, and two restorations of the same species, 
showing all the appendages, have been added. These were sent to 
the Curator by Dr. Charles E. Beecher, and represent the remark¬ 
able discoveries and equally remarkable work of that distinguished 
palaeontologist. 
This department has also received a series of representative marine 
forms purchased from the marine zoological laboratory at Naples 
and mentioned in the first part of this report. These consist of 86 
specimens in alcohol, and represent the more important marine types 
of the Mediterranean. Dry preparations of one hundred and fifty- 
three specimens of vertebrates and some invertebrates have been 
mounted for this collection. Miss Martin has also made a hundred 
colored drawings to illustrate the work done by Miss Arms. 
