452 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viH. 



The Reports of the Scientific Curator, Mr. F. B. Caulfield, 

 and of the Library Committee, were then read. 



REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC CURATOR. 



During the past year the donations to the museum have not 

 been very numerous. A fine specimen of the Carolina Grey 

 Squirrel, Sciurus Carol inensis, and six species of Canadian 

 birds have been presented ; also a specimen of the Snow Goose, 

 Anser hyperboi'eous, and a fine pair of the common Gar Pike, 

 Lcjr'ulosteus osseus, has been purchased. 



The entomological collection has been re-arranged and classi- 

 fied, and measures have been taken to prevent injury from the 

 larvse of Dermestes, &c. The number of species in the local 

 collection of Coleoptera has been largely increased by collections 

 made and presented by Mr. Whiteaves and Mr. Passmore, and 

 by duplicates from my own cabinet. The valuable series of 

 beetles collected in British Columbia by Mr. Selwyn and Prof. 

 McCoun,and determined by Dr. LeConte of Philadelphia, have 

 also been labelled and pinned into their proper place in the 

 cabinet. 



The Diurnal Lepidoptera, Sphingidse. and part of the Noc- 

 tinidse, have been classified and labelled, but owing to want of 

 space the whole of the remaining families of smaller nocturnal 

 moths cannot be exhibited. The Orthoptera are also nearly all 

 named, and along with a large series of Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, 

 Neuroptera and Diptera, are ready for exhibition as soon as an- 

 other cabinet can be provided. 



In the last annual report of my predecessor, Mr. Whiteaves,. 

 it was stated that "although corrosive sublimate was mixed with, 

 the paste with which the plants are fastened to the papers, it 

 has been recently noticed that a small beetle has been and is 

 still making burrows through some of the fasciculi, and the matter 

 requires immediate attention." On examining the herbarium, 

 it was found that many of the plants had been attacked by the 

 larva of a small beetle, Anobium foveatum. Every plant was 

 separately examined and the grubs removed and destroyed. 

 Camphor has been placed in the herbarium and strips of cottoa 

 velvet fastened on the edges of the doors, so as to make them 

 fit as tightly as possible ; and it is believed that as the plants 

 were examined at the season when the insect was in the larval 

 condition and easily detected, the herbarium has been thoroughly 

 freed from them, and with a little care can be kept in good order. 



