1807.] 173 [Annual Report. 



the specimens from destruction, but they are suffering for 

 want of an arrangement M-^hich can not be effected until an 

 approjn-iation is made for bottles, alcohol and other necessary 

 expenditures. The removal of the tax on alcohol used in 

 scientific museums, has greatly reduced this most expensive 

 item, yet the Curator estimates his present needs at from ten 

 to fifteen hundred dollars. He is especially desirous of ex- 

 hibiting a perfect collection of the fishes of this State ; this 

 would involve a further expenditure of one thousand dollars. 



Owing to alterations in the Museum, much time has been 

 spent in changing the sj^ecimens from place to place ; they 

 are now finally stored, awaiting the com2:»letion of the room 

 destined for their reception. 



On account of our inability to take care of specimens pre- 

 served in alcohol, no effort has been made to increase the col- 

 lection, and but few donations have been made ; for these we 

 are indebted to Dr. A. C. Garratt, Capt. N. E. Atwood, and 

 Messrs. F. W. Andrews, W. T. Brigham, C. G. Bush, H. D. 

 Child, W. B. Fletcher, G. D. Oxnard and James G. Swan. 



In the department of Entomology, Messrs. F. G. Sanborn 

 and G. D. Smith have continued their work of preparing the 

 Coleoptera for exhibition, and Mr. Sanborn has spent much 

 ^ime upon the arrangement of some of the nocturnal Lepi- 

 doptera. Mr. P. R. Uhler has returned most of the Hemip- 

 tera upon which he has been working for some years past. 

 The Curator himself has been unable to pay any special at- 

 tention to the arrangement of the specimens, and but little 

 to their preservation. By the apj»lication of rubber tubing 

 and forcing screws, the cases in which the insects are disjDlayed 

 have been made nearly air-tight ; the glass in the sashes has 

 been protected by a railing, and green shades will soon be 

 placed over the cases to shield the specimens from the light. 



At the request of the Curator, the temporary services of a 

 competent person have been secured, and the collection will 

 soon be placed in a condition of greater safety ; there will be 

 a preliminary arrangement of the insects in cases where they 

 can be examined to much better purpose than is possible in 

 their present condition. 



