196 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



contained, netto, 4,941 species, with 14,474 specimens. Coleoptera, 4,674 

 species, with 14075 specimens, of which belong to U. S., 2,200 species, 

 with 10,272 specimens; from Europe, 1,894 species; Brazil, 422 ; Mexico, 

 8 ; West Indies, 9 ; Siberia, 4 ; China, 74 ; Java, 8 ; Africa, 39 ; Aus- 

 tralia, 14. The other insects were, Hymenoptera, I48 species; Hemip- 

 28 ; European Diptera, 90 ; Lepidoptera, none." 



The contents of the Ziegler collection were, after the same Report, 

 netto, 5,302 sptcies, with 11,837 specimens. U. S. Coleoptera, 1,794 

 species, with 6,262 specimens. From Europe, 1,729 species; Brazil, 

 378; Mexico, 34; West Indies, 40; Siberia, 21 ; China, 55 ; Java, 12; 

 Africa, no; Australia, 14, besides Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Neuroptera, 

 Hymenoptera, Diptera. The Ziegler collection filled a cabinet with 45 

 boxes in thrte rows. The boxes are a little smaller than the Melsheimer 

 ones, the bottom of plain wood, the cover with a pane of glass. Every 

 species had a square written label on the pin, with the name and the 

 locality. 



When I arrived here in 1867, both collections were in their original 

 state. As the boxes were far from being safe, they needed a very careful 

 supervision, being more easily entered by pests than all other ones. How 

 much had been destroyed before I arrived, I do not know ; but it could 

 not have been more than a small number of specimens, to judge from the 

 gaps in the series of specimens. LeConte has not retained in his collec- 

 tion the somewhat cumbeisome labels of Ziegler, nor labeled the Mel- 

 sheimer specimens. 



In 1872, after LeConte had decided to present his collection to the 

 Museum, we had together a serious consultation if it was of any import- 

 ance to science that both collections should be retained for ever in their 

 original shape. LeConte was decidedly of opinion that it would not be 

 of any scientific value, the more so as all specimens of importance had 

 been transferred into his collection. As the original boxes were unsafe, 

 and as by a transfer of both collections into new safe boxes, the originality 

 of the collections would be lost to a considerable extent, we agreed that 

 the insects would be better incorporated into the collection of U. S. 

 Coleoptera of the Museum. This decision was approved by Prof. L. 

 Agassiz, as in this way a permanent centre of infection and danger for the 

 other collections of the Entomological Department would be abolished. 

 I have myself put on every pin a small printed label — Melsheimer or 

 Ziegler — to record the former proprietor. Nevertheless, some time later. 



