38 REPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 



Boston Society of Natural History, which was obtained by purchase; 

 while the most valuable, from a popular and economic view, is the ex- 

 hibit collection prepared for the New Orleans Exposition. This has 

 been returned with little injury, and is only awaiting space for perma- 

 nent exhibition in the Museum. It is made up of the following material, 

 arranged in cases made on the same unit plan as those of the Museum : 



(1) Insects injurious to Agriculture. — Arranged according to the partic- 

 ular plant and the particular i)art of the plant affected, and containing, as 

 far as i^ossible, the different states of growth of the insect, its enemies 

 and parasites, a statement of the remedies or preventives available, and 

 a reference to the chief articles where full information can be found upon 

 it. These references are principally to Government and State reports, 

 to which the farmer will most likely have access. 



(2) Insecticide Substances. — In the catalogue of this collection the aim 

 has been to add, as briefly as possible, a statement of the method of 

 using, such substances, so that whenever in the first section a particular 

 substance is recommended for a particular insect, the reader can turn 

 to this second section for further details. 



(3) Insecticide Machinery and Contrivances for Destroying Insects. — In 

 the catalogue of this section there is also added such information as 

 will add to the instructive value of the exhibit, and a large proportion 

 of the more useful contrivances are such as have been designed and 

 perfected in the work of the entomological division, or of the United 

 States Entomological Commission during the past five years. 



(4) Bee-culture. — This collection is designed to show all the more val-- 

 uable methods and contrivances now in use among the advanced apia- 

 rians. 



(5) Silk-culture. — In this collection the aim has been to make the exhibit 

 instructive rather than full in detail. The collection includes, in addi- 

 tion to the foregoing, a number of framed plates, both colored and plain, 

 which have been prepared in the work of the division ; and a number of 

 Prof. Eiley's enlarged colored diagrams of some of the more important 

 injurious insects were also used. A catalogue of this exhibit has been 

 published under the direction of the Department of Agriculture, giving 

 a full and detailed statement of its contents. 



The routine work of the department has consisted in answering let- 

 ters and in acknowledging and determining accessions. A good deal 

 of work has also been done in the proper arrangement and classifying 

 of material, particularly in the Micro- Lepidoptera and in the Lepidoptera 

 generally. In this work Professor Eiley was assisted by Mr. Albert 

 Koebele, who was detailed from the Department of Agriculture for the 

 purpose. 



The researches in entomology have been made chiefly in connection 

 with Prof. Eiley's work for the Department of Agriculture; and some 

 of the results have been published in the bulletins and publications of 

 said Department. 



