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that date, were of extraordinary extent and value, were suffering from insufficient care and would be useful to the specialists associated with the Institution. In this year a very fine collection of Achatinellas was presented by Dr. Wesley Newcomb, one of the most important accessions received from private sources at this early day.

In 1857 Congress made a small appropriation for cases and for the transfer of the specimens from the Patent Office, and until 1869 appropriated a sum of $4000.00 annually for taking care of them. In 1858 they were transferred, and with this date the collection of Mollusks may be said to have acquired an importance entitling it to separate consideration. The shells of the Expedition were among its most valuable collections as one of the naval officers, Lieutenant, afterward Captain J. P. Couthouy, was deeply interested in this group of animals and worked with intelligence and ardor. His collections were carefully labelled with stamped tin tags, each corresponding to exact locality and station notes; and many colored drawings of the soft parts of great accuracy, were made by Couthouy from life. The shells were largely preserved in spirits that the anatomy might be