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2.

Mr. Henry Hemphill continued his collecting on the Florida coast, begun the previous winter, until March of this year, and has contributed several cases of specimens belonging to many groups. The other principal accessions have been a fine series of the sea urchins and starfishes of the West Coast of Mexico, from Mr. A. Forrer; numerous specimens of Pacific corals and Echinoderms from Prof. R. E. C. Stearns; and the collection of Marine invertebrates made by Lieut. Geo. M. Storey, U. S. N., in Alaska, in 1884. 

Much progress has been made in the determination and cataloguing of specimens. Prof. Walter Faxon has completed his studies of the collection of Crayfishes, which is now the second in size and number of species in the United States, being exceeded only by that at the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, Cambridge. It contains 46 North American species. The collection of Echini, which holds the same relative rank, has also been almost completely identified, and other groups are being rapidly worked over. 

In June, the West Hall of the Smithsonian building, devoted to the exhibition of Marine Invertebrates, was opened to the public, and although the collections now displayed fill only the wall cases surrounding the room, the present a very creditable appearance, and all the groups belonging to this department are represented to a greater or less extent. The dried collections not on display have been mostly transferred to the northwest gallery of the main hall, which will also serve as general work-room for the department.