20 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viH. 



optera, especially to the aquatic species, and the list of the 

 Montreal beetles has been largely added to. Mr. F. B. Caulfield 

 has also kindly presented us with an extensive series of local 

 species which were previously wanting in our cabinet. Mr. Pass- 

 more and myself have also endeavoured to collect as many speci- 

 mens as possible of the diptera, hymenoptera, hemiptera and 

 orthoptera of the Island of Montreal, and our efforts have 

 been liberally supplemented by Mr. Caulfield and other friends. 

 When a reasonable collection has been obtained, we propose to 

 send the diptera to Baron Osten Sacken, and the hymenoptera 

 to Mr. Cresson, unless Mr. Bowles can find time to work them 

 up here. The orthoptera we hope to study ourselves, and 

 indeed have already examined and identified all those that have 

 been collected so far. One half of the Cabinet has been re- 

 arranged, but the coleoptera and lepidoptera remain to be 

 finished. Materials for doing this have been accumulated, and 

 it is hoped that the work will be completed, at least to a certain 

 extent, during the summer. For some time attention has been 

 directed to the collection of those insects which are parasitic on 

 our native mammals and birds. A tolerably complete series of 

 these has been obtained. Mr. Denny's monograph on the ano- 

 plura has been purchased, so that, when time will permit, it is 

 hoped that some novel information may be obtained about these 

 so far neglected but very curious insects. 



Our local entomologists seem to have devoted most of their 

 energies to the collection and study of the butterflies and moths 

 only, while other orders have received hardly any share of their 

 attention. Almost nothing is known about the two-winged flies 

 of the Island of Montreal, or the bees, wasps, ichneumons, etc., 

 the grasshoppers and the order to which they belong, or the 

 hemiptera or spiders of the same district. Considerable difficulty 

 has been met with in the attempt to preserve the neuroptera and 

 orthoptera, as it was found that the larvae of dermestes make 

 great havoc among dried specimens in our Cabinet. An alcoholic 

 series of the orthoptera has accordingly been attempted, with 

 fair results, but the preservation of the larger dragon flies has 

 yet to be accomplished. 



The remainder of my own private collection of shells and 

 fossils has been imported from England, and some progress has 

 been made in the arrangement and naming of the same. A want 

 of proper cabinets, however, has long delayed the final classifica- 

 tion and exhibition of this collection in the Museum. 



