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Lewis and others, generously assisted in the work of organizing, identifying and enlarging the National Collection. A series of Check lists, Manuals and handbooks was projected and the Institution forwarded the investigations of students of Mollusks with these objects in view and with remarkable success.

In 1861 the outbreak of war almost paralyzed scientific work. At this time the mollusk-register of the Museum had nearly 10,000 entries but this was only a tithe of the material accessible but not worked up. Progress was made in the publications, rendered vastly more costly by the excessive prices of printing paper, ink and a depreciated paper currency. Series of named duplicates were made up to serve as types, and, by 1863, 2365 specimens so named had been sent out to various institutions of learning.

In 1864 Dr. William Stimpson who had been a resident unsalaried collaborateur and, in the absence of Dr. Carpenter, had had charge of all the invertebrates, was appointed director of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. This necessitated his removal to Chicago. The duplicates of the Exploring Expedition shells were entrusted to Dr. Carpenter then in Britain and Mr. Hugh Cuming