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35 

them at his convenience. To enable him to make comparisons with known species from the same region, the unique series of Crustacea collected by the United States Exploring Expedition and described by Professor Dana had also been supplied to him. The Museum of the Chicago Academy therefore contained at this time two of the largest and finest collections of marine invertebrates that had ever been brought together, both of which were the property of the United States, and were to be eventually returned to the National Museum. The work of destruction was complete, not a single specimen or a single record of all of Dr. Stimpson's observations, covering many years, being saved. The loss was the more severe from the fact that but little had yet been published respecting the zoology of the North Pacific Laboratory Expedition, and the manuscript reports were in an advanced state of preparation. It is impossible to determine the total