1861.] 89 



The collection of Diptcra, though not large, contains many rave and 

 beautifully preserved specimens carefully named and classified. During 

 the past year the increase has been small, owing to the difficulty of obtain- 

 ing names for the species, whereby about MO species are reserved by the 

 members for presentation so soon as correct names can be procured for 

 them. The collection now contains 224 species, 5G1 specimens, an in- 

 crease of 75 species, 285 specimens during the past year. The principal 

 donors are Dr. T. B. Wilson, and Baron R. Osten Sacken who has very 

 kindly presented the Society with types of his Monograph oi' Limnohiacesc, 

 published in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia, August 1859. 



The collections of Hymenoptera, Neuroptera &c., arc yet small, but have 

 bright prospects of a rapid increase during the ensuing year. Through 

 the kindness of Mr. Edward Norton of Farmington, Conn., {^Hymenoptera) 

 and Mr. P. R. Uhler of Baltimore, Md., {Neuroptera &c?) the species in 

 the collections have been correctly named and arranged. Of Hymenop- 

 tera the collection contains 136 species, and of Neuroptera &c., 249 species, 

 an increase of 311 species during the past year. 



As a whole, the interest manifested by the members in building up the 

 collections of the Society has been exceedingly liberal and enthusiastic. 



The cabinet was commenced in January 1860 and since then 3,678 spe- 

 cies have been presented. The collection of Coleoptera is arranged in 

 two large and handsome cases of drawers, for which the Society is indebt- 

 ed to our fellow-member Dr. Thomas B. Wilson; the remainder of the 

 collection is arranged in boxes. The order and condition of the Cabinet is 

 excellent and, unlike large collections generally, it is entirely free of all 

 infection. 



During the past year several valuable additions have been made to the 

 Library, which now contains 129 volumes and pamphlets. It is to be 

 hoped that the members and correspondents will exert themselves for the 

 increase of this department, as it is a very important necessity. 



One of the most prominent and interesting additions to the Society dur- 

 ing the past year has been the establishment of a publication to be issued 

 every two or three months and containing extracts from the minutes of 

 the meetings, and also any papers on entomological science that may be 

 received from contributors and ordered to be published. Through the 

 liberality of Dr. T. B. Wilson, Dr. Samuel Lewis, E. T. Cresson, J. Frank 

 Knight, Greorge Newman, Robert Jack, William Evctt, James Ridings, 

 John Knight, J. H. B. Bland, Dr. G. H. Horn and J. D. Dowling, suffi- 



