124 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



NOTES ON EUROPEAN ENTOMOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. 



By PHILIP P. CALVERT. 



XIV. AMSTERDAM. 



The centralization of facilities for study which Amsterdam 

 offers to the zoological student is, we believe, unequaled else- 

 where. The Zoological Society of that city maintains one of 

 the largest gardens of living animals in existence. On the grounds 

 is the building occupied by the Society, and containing, in the 

 basement, a salt and fresh -water aquarium of twenty-two perma- 

 nent, besides movable, tanks, and in the upper floor a zoological 

 museum, while in adjoining wing houses the zoological labora- 

 tory of the University of Amsterdam, under the direction of 

 Prof. Weber. The writer, having visited the Museum during 

 the vacation when the curator was absent, was unable to inspect 

 the entomological section, but in answer to a letter Dr. Johannes 

 C. H. de Meijere kindly furnished some notes on the collections 

 of insects, which are reproduced below. Dr. Coenraad Kerbert 

 is Director of the Museum, whose staff also includes Dr. J. Th. 

 Oudemans, known for his researches on the Macro-lepidoptera, 

 Hymenoptera, Thysanura and Collembola. 



"The most important collection of insects at Amsterdam is in 

 the possession of the Royal Zoological Society [Koninklijk 

 Zoologisch Genootschap] ' Natura Artis Magistra.' It is con- 

 tained in two rooms, that are connected with the library, annexed 

 to the Zoological Garden of the Society. As by the illness and 

 subsequent death of the former conservator, the collection had 

 gone somewhat into a state of decadence, it is now being totally 

 reorganized. The intention is first to prepare a show collection 

 as well of insects in general as, more especially, of those which 

 inhabit the Netherlands. Of the latter the Lepidoptera are ready 

 for the greater part and were exhibited to the public during the 

 last weeks of the past year [1896]. 



"The collections are contained in rabbeted glass-topped, 

 wooden boxes. The best represented are the Lepidoptera and 

 Coleoptera. Notwithstanding that there are only few typical 

 specimens, some extensive collections are here, as, for instance, 

 the van Medenbach de Rooy collection (Lepidoptera), the Smit 

 collection (chiefly Lepidoptera) and a very fine collection of Co- 



