g4 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



the exbibition series is displayed in the lower hallway leading to the 

 offices of the department. The systematic series, since its return from 

 the (^otton States and International Exposition at Atlanta, has been 

 placed upon exhibition, while the exotic showy insects prepared for 

 the same Exposition have been distributed in the study collections. 

 The reserve collections for study are, generally speaking, in good con- 

 dition. In order to properly classify the Lepidoptera, however, much 

 work must still be done. The types have not yet been catalogued 

 excei)t in this order. 



A large amount of scientific work has been accomplished by the 

 members of the staff during the year, as will be seen from the following 

 extract from Mr. Howard's report : 



The curator lias published a revision of the Aphelinina; of North America, and a 

 paper on the "Grass and Grain Joint-worm Flies and their Allies," in Technical 

 Series Nos. 1 and 2, United States Department of Agriculture. These papers are 

 based upon Museum material. He has also completed, but not yet published, a 

 report on the Chalcididie of the Island of Grenada, and, conjointly -with Mr. Ash- 

 mead, a brief paper on some reared parasitic Hynienoptera Irom Ceylon. 



Mr. Ashnicad has completed and published his report on the parasitic Hynienoptera 

 of the Island of Grenada, comprising the families C'yuipida', Ichneumonidic, Braco- 

 nida' and the Proctotrypidie, submitted by Ur. David Sharp on behalf of the com- 

 mittee for investigating the flora and fauna of the West Indian islands. He has 

 also described a new genus and two new si>ccie8 of Proctotrypidie from Trinidad, 

 submitted by Mr. F. W. Urich; and in a paper published in the Transactions of 

 the American Entomological Society, Pliiladel}ihia, .June, 1896, he described a large 

 number of new parasitic Hynienoptera. During the year, besides rearranging some 

 of the families of the Aculeate Hynienoptera and Hemiptera, he ideutitied several 

 hundred species of Hemiptera and between two and three thousand species of 

 Hymenojjtera for correspondents of the Department of Agriculture. Monographic 

 work is also being done on the families Braconid;e, Cynipidie, and Chalcidida>. 



Mr. C'o(juillett has published a revision of the North American genera and species 

 of Empida', in which four new genera and sixty-six new species are described. 

 Types of all of these new forms are now in the National Museum. He has also 

 identified the Culicidie in the National Museum, and described three new species 

 in the Canadian Entomologist for February, 1896, and in a paper on the Diptera 

 of Florida, published in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia for 1895, he described a new species of Plafyitra and one of Drosoplula 

 from sjiecimens in the National Museum. He is now engaged in identifying the 

 Tachinida' in the National Museum collection, and has nearly completed a monograph 

 of the same. 



Mr. Linell has completed reports on the Japanese Coleoptera (Ace. 27851), on the 

 Coleoptera of the Chanler and Ilohnel expeditions, and on the insects collected by 

 Dr. W, L. Abbott on the Indian Islands, norfh of Madagascar. A restudy of the 

 North American Coleoptera of the families Scaraha-ida' and Cerambycida- has resulted 

 in two descriptive papers, now lieiug published in the Proceedings of the National 

 Mnseum. 



Of the explorations which have resulted in enriching the collections, 

 nearly all were confined to localities outside of the United States. The 

 material obtained is referred to in the list of important accessions given 

 above, and only a brief reference will therefore be made in this place. 

 The British West India Committee for Zoological Exploration conducted 



