OF WASHINGTON. 205 



A full agreement was also found in Tenthredinidae, Vespidse 

 and Apidse the Honey-bee (Apis mellifica) being the species 

 particularly examined in the latter family. In the case of the 

 latter two families the terminal seventh and eighth segments 

 and parts of ovipositor with supports are entirely enclosed and 

 concealed in the so-called terminal sixth segiment, which forms 

 a sort of hood or cloaca over them. 



We may naturally expect, therefore, to find this structure of 

 ovipositor to be uniform in the Hymenoptera, and it is the 

 writer's intention to study and figure these parts in representa 

 tives of all the families of this order for some future paper. 



Professor Riley remarked on the homology of the parts 

 described, stating that he had given the subject considerable 

 attention in earlier years. The parts figured indicated, he said, 

 very clearly the nine joints and subjoints of a typical insect 

 abdomen. . 



The paper was also briefly discussed by Messrs. Howard and 

 Ashmead. 



Mr. Ashmead presented a paper, of which he has furnished 

 the following abstract : 



THE INSECT COLLECTIONS IN THE BERLIN MUSEUM. 



BY WM. H. ASHMEAD. 



The Royal Berlin Museum, or " Konigliches Museum fur 

 Naturkunde zu Berlin," is a large, substantially built, stone, 

 fireproof building, three stories high, and occupying nearly a 

 square of ground, situated on the north side of Invaliden Strasse, 

 almost diagonally opposite Louisen Strasse and the Neuer 

 Thor. 



The style of architecture is not remarkable except for its sim 

 plicity and good taste. The building is situated some distance 

 back from the street, with a small flower garden in front, with 

 plaster or cement walks, and separated from the street by a 

 high iron-railed fence, the entrance being through three large 

 iron gates, one in the middle and one on each side. At the 

 right side of the Museum is a High School, at the left the Geo 

 logical and Mineralogical Institute, the back portion of the 

 Museum extending back of both of these buildings in the form 

 of wings, the left wing being occupied by the Zoological Insti 

 tute, under the direction of Dr. Schulze, the right wing by 

 offices, a library, laboratories, and the insect collections. 



