1850.] 5 



February 12th. 



Dr. Morton, President, in the Chair. 



Dr. Leidy read the followinf^, being a report by Prof. Haldeman, 

 Chairman of the Committee on Entomology, oa the progress of that 

 science during the past year. 



Report on the Progress of Entomology in the United States daring the year 1849. 



By S. S. Haldeman. 



Whilst the progress of Entomology during the year 1849 has been sufficiently 

 encouraging, it cannot be doubted that it would advance more rapidly if there 

 were one or more general works upon the subject, adapted to this country. The 

 student is now retarded either by the extent of the subject, or because he cannot 

 consult standard collections, works, or figures of American genera and species; 

 whilst such as have passed through the preliminary difficulties, generally prefer 

 original research to the preparation of works which partake in some degree of 

 the nature of compilations ; and on account of the expense of figures, authors 

 usually limit them to their own discoveries. 



Another cause which retards the natural sciences in general, in a country 

 where the amount of material to be investigated is extensive, is the want of 

 instruction in them in our educational institutions, in but few of which their 

 claims to a place among the sciences are acknowledged. Such causes tend to 

 limit the number of observers, and must be taken into consideration in estimating 

 the condition of certain sciences in this country. 



1. J. L. LeConte M.D. Sy7iopsis of the Coleopterous Insects of the group 

 Cleridae which inhabit the United States. 28 pages 8vo. Annals of the Lyceum 

 of N. Y. This synopsis, besides a full synonymy, contains the characters of ten 

 new species. Many of the American species are figured in a very neat and 

 beautiful style in Spinola's Essai monographique sur les Clerites, the last work 

 of this active entomologist. 



2. Dr. LeConte has also produced a Catalogue of Coleoptem, including diag- 

 noses of a considerable number of new species, collected in a journey to Lake 

 Superior with Prof. Agassiz and his companions. On the point of publication. 



3. On the Pselaphidae of the United States. Bost. J. nat. hist. 1849. 



vol. 6. p. 64110, 



4. General Remarks on the Coleoptera of Lake Superior. In Agassiz 



Excursion. P. 201 242. 8vo. 



5. S. S. Halueman. Cryptocephaliiianim, Boreal i-aniei-icae diagnoses, etc. 

 J. Acad. nat. sci. 1,245. 20 pages 4to. The synonymy and full descriptions of 

 the species known to the author are given. Short diagnoses of the 24 new species 

 are given in the Proceed. AcaJ. for April, 1849; 4,170. 



6. JVew llymeiioptera of the genera Ampulex, Sigalphus, Chelonus , and 



Dorylus. Pr. Acad. 4,203. 



7. On the larva of Physocoeliis inflatusJ.X)pj. (Helops contractus Mels. 



1846. Pr. Ac. 3,61. H. contractus Beauv. H. striatus Oliv.?) Read before the 



