Viewing page 39 of 42

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

50

5. [[underlined]] Recommendations and General Remarks [[/underlined]] .

I would recommend that the duplicates be disposed of as soon as possible in order to save time and expense in caring for them. I would also suggest that collectors in regions which have been reasonably well studied should be instructed not to send duplicates in large numbers. Should the museum at any time need additional specimens of a particular species which is known to be common at a given point it would be comparatively easy to obtain it from one of its collectors. It is hoped that a suitable place will soon be provided for the reception of the skeletons of fishes which are now in storage and consequently not available for study. It is essential to the welfare of the collection of fishes in alcohol that a separate fire-proof building be constructed to contain them; until that is done the collection will never be systematically arranged and secure against accidents.

In concluding this review of the work carried on in the Department of Fishes I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to my assistants without whose help it would have been impossible to have accomplished what has been done. Mr. Barton A. Bean has been engaged principally in labelling and arranging collections, recording accessions and distributions, preparing duplicates for distribution and outfits for collectors, and he has assisted largely in the correspondence.