Viewing page 56 of 58

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

56

[[double underlined]] Present State of the Collection. [[/double underlined]]

The number of speciments now in the museum is estimated to be about 75.000, divided as follows: (1) in the reserve series 38000; (2) on exhibition, 22,000; (3) duplicates, 15.000, Numerous additions to the duplicate series have been obtained from the deep-sea investigations of the U. S. Fish Commission.

The condition of the collection is constantly improving, and would be still more rapidly perfected by increasing the space for assorting and installing the vast amount of material now crowded int the basement of the Smithsonian Institution