272 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



THE MARX COLLECTION OF ARACHNIDA. 



The eminent arachnologist, Dr. George Marx, of Washington, D. C, 

 ■died January 3rd, 1895. His important collection of Arachnida has been 

 placed by his widow in charge of the undersigned committee of the 

 Entomological Society of Washington, to be disposed of by sale. The 

 collection is one of the most important in existence. It contains more 

 than one thousand species of Aranaeina alone. 



Of this one thousand species, about five hundred are described 

 species from North America. These are distribued among 175 genera. 

 The families Theridiida3, Epeiridae and Theraphosidse are particularly 

 well-represented, and have been identified largely by some well-known 

 authority. The Theridiid^ were in the hands of the late Count Key- 

 serling, and about thirty of his species have their types in this collection. 

 The Theraphosidse have been recently in the hands of Simon, of Paris, 

 while Dr. McCook has examined the Epeiridje. In addition to these 500 

 described American species, there are about 200 species of European 

 spiders properly identified and labelled, and nearly 300 American species 

 which bear Dr. Marx's manuscript names. There is, further, a great mass 

 of material which has never been worked up. 



The species are many of them represented by many specimens. The 

 collection is contained in vials in Muller's fluid, and the vials are arranged 

 in the standard trays of Dr. Marx's own invention, as figured and 

 described in Riley's " Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects" 

 (Smithsonian Institution, Part E, Bulletin 39. U. S. National Museum). 

 The collection is of special interest, aside from the number of species, on 

 account of the excellent representation of the boreal fauna. There are 

 many specimens from Alaska on the west and Labrador on the east. In 

 addition, all parts of America north of Mexico are represented. Besides 

 the Aranaeina there are many specimens of Scorpionida, Solpugida and 

 Pseudoscorpionida, and Pedipalpi. 



After due consideration, we have decided to offer, for the present, this 

 collection for sale for the sum of fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500). 



Correspondence relative to the collection, or its possible purchase, 

 may be addressed to any member of the committeee : 

 C. V. Riley, U. S. National Museum. 

 L. O. Howard, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 E. A. ScHWARZ, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 Theodore Gill, Smithsonian Institution. 



"Washington, D. C, August ist, 1895. 



p. s. — With the collection will be delivered to the purchaser. Dr. 

 Marx's large and valuable library on Arachnida, comprising all the 

 important works on the group, well-bound, together with several hundred 

 pamphlets. ^_ 



Mailed September 7lh, 1895. 



