380 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



Among the special researches based upon material belonging to the 

 Department should be mentioned the following: 



(1) A monograph of the Sphingid;e of North America, by John B. 

 Smith, which has been published during the year by the American 

 Entomological Society of Philadelphia. 



(2) A paper upon the Acridiidse of North America, by Lawrence 

 Bruner, which has been submitted for publication in the Proceedings of 

 the Museum. 



(3) A paper entitled Notes and Descriptions of Braconidre, by Will- 

 iam H. Ashmead, to be published in the Proceedings of the Museum. 



(4) A paper to be entitled Notes and Descriptions of Ichueumonidre, 

 by William H. Ashmead, now nearly completed and to be published in 

 the Proceedings of the Museum. 



(5) Two papers, with titles corresponding to those by Mr. Ashmead, 

 just mentioned, are in preparation by myself, and include the new 

 material in the Museum collection in these two families of parasitic 

 Hymeuoptera not treated by Mr. Ashmead. 



(6) Several papers by C. H. Bollman, of Bloomington, Illinois, upon 

 Myriopoda, which have been submitted for publication in the Proceed- 

 ings of the Museum. 



(7) A report upon the Insects, Arachnids, and Myriapods collected 

 by the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross during 1887 and 1888, 

 submitted to the assistant secretary in charge of the Museum in June, 

 by Mr. L. O. Howard. 



It will be very difficult at the present time to draw up a table show- 

 ing the present state of the collection, indicating thenumber of specimens 

 in all orders. This was carefully done iu the report of the Department 

 for 1886-'87, and in the report forl887-'88 the statement was made that 

 some 10,000 specimens had been added. During the present year, while 

 several thousand specimens have been added to the collection, the work 

 of rearrangement, except upon exhibit collections, has been so slow that 

 a definite tabulated statement at the present time is impracticable. 

 The work may be said to be just now in a transition state. The most 

 urgent need of the department at the present time is additional help, 

 to permit me to keep the rapid accumulations properly worked up. 



