10 NEW YORK STATI-: MTSKUM 



though a large anu)unt of time was necessarih- expended uixjii the 

 more teclinical part in carrying it through the press. 



Collections. The adchtions to the collections have noi been as 

 numerous as in preceding years, owing to the necessity of giving 

 more attention to the arrangement and classification of material on 

 liand. A number of previously unknown Cecidomyiidae were 

 •reared and several important gaps in our knowledge respecting this 

 group filled. 



Several extremely desirable accessions, aside from those men- 

 tioned above, have been made to our biological collections. One of 

 the most interesting was a complete series representing the egg, 

 Ic'.rva, pupa and adult of the remarkable Taeniorhynchus 

 p e r t u r b a n s Walk., generously contributed by Mr J. Turner 

 Brakeley of Hornerstown, N. J., the discoverer of the early stages 

 and one of the most active in working out the life history of this 

 previously very elusive species. 



Two important additions have been made to our exhibit collec- 

 tions, namely, an enlarged model of the onion fly, showing the egg, 

 maggot, puparium, adult l^y and an onion infested by maggots ; 

 also an enlarged model of the cigar case bearer showing its work 

 upon apple leaves. Both of these were executed by Mrs Otto 

 Heidemann of Washington, D. C. 



The arrangement and classification of the collection has received 

 much attention. Assistant Entomologist D. B. Young has sepa- 

 rated the Staphylinidae into their major groups and determined 

 many species. He has also given considerable time to the arrange- 

 ment of the Syrphidae. The completion of the catalogue of the 

 Hill collection occupied much time during the past year. ]\Iiss 

 Hartman also assisted in the preparation of the above mentioned 

 catalogue and has done a great deal of general curatorial work, 

 such as mounting, labeling and caring for insect specimens. 



Office matters. The general work of the office has been con- 

 ducted as in previous years, the Assistant Entomologist being re- 

 sponsible for the correspondence and other matters during the 

 absence of the Entomologist. Assistant I. L. Nixon resigned Octo- 

 ber 12, 1907, and Miss Fanny T. Hartman was temporarily ap- 

 pointed to the vacancy October 26, wnth subsequent confirmation. 

 Numerous specimens have been received for identification and 

 m.any inquiries made concerning injurious forms. Owing to their 

 having been no important bulletin or report issued during the sea- 

 son, there has been a decrease in the number of packages sent 



