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^[[ One copy G. 3-20-'55.]]

^[[L. q. upper 1884 Am. rep . I]]

U.S.National Museum,
Smithsonian Institution,
Washington,D.C.
January,5th.1885

Prof.G.Brown Goode.
Asst.Director,Nat.Mus.

Sir:

In accordance with directions received in your circular of December 4th.1884,I have the honor to submit the following report of operations in the Department of Reptiles,U.S.National Museum,under my charge.

During the past year as in previous years the Department of Reptiles has been abundantly favored by many contributors whose interest in Herpetology has led them to make valuable and extensive collections,and both the reserve and general series have been consequently much enlarged and made more valuable for purposes of comparison and study.  Among the most note-worthy of the donations received,may be mentioned the following.  From Capt.Chas.Bendire,U.S.A.,who for many years has been a most devoted friend to the establishment,has been received a large and valuable collection from Fort Klamath and vicinity,Washington Ty. From Mr.Chas.H.Townsend,of Baird,Shasta Co.Cal.,an [[strike through]] d [[/strike through]] extremely interesting collection of the characteristic reptiles of that vicinity. Mr.C.J.Hering,of Surinam,a valuable contributor in previous years hasalso presented a valuable collection of exotic reptiles, and from the scientific gentlemen of the Fish Commission Steamer, Albatross,a large collection made during the cruise in the West Indies in 1884,comprising over one hundred specimens has also been received.  This collection has been loaned by direction of Prof. Baird, to Prof.E.D.Cope,of Phila.,for study and identification,the

Transcription Notes:
Entire page is double spaced in original. The idiosyncratic spacing of punctuation and between letters has been retained. This idiosyncrasy may be tied to the fact that typewriters only came into general use in the mid 1800s. The use of I for the figure 1 has been transcribed as 1.