NO. 2344. SUPERFAMILY TIPULOIDE A—ALEXANDER AND McATEE. 387 



collecting season for these flies in this vicinity is mid- June or earlier, 

 it will be appreciated that the Tipulid fauna of the District is very 

 rich indeed. 



The Tipulidae and their allies of the vicinity of Washington, 

 D. C, are a particularly interesting group for study, for the reason 

 that so many of the species were originally described from here. No 

 fewer than 87^ species of crane-flies have been described from ma- 

 terial wdiolly or in part from our region — a record due chiefly to the 

 zealous entomological activities of C. R. Osten Sacken. 



This gentleman was secretary to the Eussian legation in Washing- 

 ton from 1856 to 18G2, and lived elsewhere in the United States, most 

 of the time up to the year 1877. Of this period he says: ^ 



Tliese 21 years were, us regards entoniology, principally devoted, in collabora- 

 tion with Dr. H. liOew, to the task of working up the Diptera of North 

 America." 



With reference to Washington scientists whom he met, Osten 

 Sacken speaks in the highest terms of Spencer F. Baird, then secre- 

 tar}^ of the Smithsonian Institution, and takes occasion " to pay a 

 tribute of heartfelt gratitude and admiration to Baird, to whose 

 encouragement, support, and example," he says, " I owe a consider- 

 able share of my success." (P. 9.) 



"Among other men of science," Osten Sacken adds, " Mdio have 

 been useful to me in contributing to my studies on Cynipido', I owe a 

 debt of gratitude to Mr. E. Foreman, of the United States Patent 

 Office in Washington, with whom (between 1856 and 1861) I took 

 frequent walks in the environs of that city. He taught me to dis- 

 tinguish the numerous species of oaks occurring in the United States, 

 and procured me many new galls and other vegetable deformations." 

 (P. 41.) 



The period mentioned was that of Osten Sacken's collecting activi- 

 ties about Washington; publication of the results came later. One 

 of Osten Sacken's favorite collecting grounds was the Smithsonian 

 Park and westward parts of the Mall, then a nearly natural forest. 

 Those who have seen him collecting crane-flies say that his favorite 

 implement for catching them was the collecting forceps, in the use 

 of which he was incredil)ly adept. Specimens caught were pinned on 

 the spot, and placed in a box carried for the purpose, or in a cork 

 lining of his high hat. Osten Sacken collected more than 120 species 

 of crane-flies in the District of Columbia region, of a large propor- 

 tion of which he published the original descriptions. The descrip- 

 tions of 50 species recognized nowadays were based either Avholly or 

 in part upon local material. 



» Designated by asterisks in the list. In such cases the data, if only Washington, D. C, 

 or District of Columbia is not repeated among the records. 

 * Record of my life work in entomology. 1903-4, p. 3. 



