I8 9 3.] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., FEBRUARY, 1898. 



Specimens of Natural History in the Foreign Mails. 

 Those who were interested in the attempt to secure a reduction 

 of postage on specimens of Natural History in the international 

 mails, to which we have referred in the numbers of the NEWS 

 for October, 1893 (p. 266), February, 1894 (? 42), and March, 

 1897 (p. 55), may desire to have a somewhat fuller statement of 

 the success attained in May last, than was contained in the ne\\^- 

 papers at the time. The references just given are all concerned 

 with the labors of a Committee, appointed by the Acadenu 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, September 5, 1893, to secure 

 the admission of specimens of natural history to the mails of tin- 

 Universal Postal Union as samples of merchandise and under tin- 

 rates therefor one cent for every two oun< In December 

 last, this Committee made its final report to the Academy and 

 was discharged. Its report stated (inter alia) : 



Your Committee have now hut to make its official report of the generally 

 well-known fact that the proposed modification as regards Natural 

 History specimens was adopted at the Washington Congress ot th< 

 Universal Postal Union in May last. The adoption of this modification 

 is referred to by the Superintendent of Foreign Mails of tin- I'. S. 

 Post Office, Mr. N. M. Brooks, in his Report for tin- fiscal yeai ended 

 June 30, 1897, and dated Washington, Oct. 13, 1897. The p e is 



as follows: Alluding to the work of the Universal i'nstal Congn ss, Mr. 

 Brooks says (p. 7), "The following are, however, matters 

 interest or importance which it may be well to mention, vi/.: 

 (4) Natural History specimens are admitted at the rate and under the 



