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United States National Museum
under direction of
The Smithsonian Institution

Washington. July 1. 1886.

Prof. G. Brown Goode
Asst. Director U.S. National Museum

Dear Sir:

In reporting for the Department of Quaternary Paleontology, I have to state that the portion relating to the Mollusca which alone finds its definite resting place under my charge is essentially reported on in my Report on the Department of Mollusks. There being no biological reason why the Quaternary fossils and recent shells should be separated I have made no distinction between them either in their arrangement in the cases or in the catalogues and register.

I may observe that the number of quaternary fossils received has been small, but that a very large mass of them containing many thousand specimens is in our possession, and will from the date of their reception through the U.S. Geological Survey be reported on net year.

I am very respectfully

Wm. H. Dall
Hon. Cur. Dept. Mollusks and Quaternary Paleontology