80 REPORT OF NATIONA!> MUSEl\M, 1893. 



MATERIAL LENT FOR INVESTIGATION. 



It has always been one of tlie aims ofthe National ^Museum to aid, as far 

 as possible, i)ersous who are engaged in scientilic investigation. A few 

 of the more important trausaetions of this character are liere mentioned. 



A number of specimens of insects of the genn^ Trijpo.vcloii and family 

 Pemphredouidic Avere sent to Mr. William Fox, of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, to be used in the preparation of a 

 review, which Mas afterwards published in the Transactions of the 

 American Entomological Society. The African Myriapods, collected 

 by Dr. Abbott, were sent to Mr. O. F. Cook, Huntington, N. Y., for 

 study and spe(;ial report. Fortj'-two specimens of birds ofthe genera 

 Myrnndza, ^yiudUixis, IJmpidoclKuics, Myiarchus, Thri/oiliorxs, and 

 Basileiiterus were sent to Mr. Frank M. Chapman, of the American 

 Museum of Natural History, New York City, to be used in the prepara- 

 tion of a paper on the birds of the island of Trinidad. 



A number of specimens of Scorpa^ioid fishes were lent to Prof. C. H. 

 Eigenmann, P)loomington, Ind. There were forwarded to Lieut. Wirt 

 Ivobinson, Atlanta, Ga., siiecimens of birds forming part of a collection 

 made by him in Curasao and on the coast of Colombia. This material was 

 desired for use in the preparation of an illustrated work on the ornithol- 

 ogy of the region indicated. Skins and skulls of field, meadow, and 

 harvest mice were lent to Dr. J. A. Allen, of the American Museum of 

 Natural History, New Y'ork City; also sijecimens ofthe Thamnophiline 

 genus Dysifhamnns, for comparison. Twenty-one specimens, represent- 

 ing 17 species of birds, were sent to Mr. Osbert Salvin, London, England, 

 for examination in connection with the preparation of Vols, xvi and xxi 

 of the Catalogue of Birds of the British Museum. They are mentioned 

 specifically in the latter volume. One hundred and four specimens of 

 birds were lent for examination to Mr. Witmer Stone, of Philadelphia, Pa. 

 These were t« be used in the preparation of a paper on the Birds of Brit- 

 ish Columbia, based on a collection made by Mr. S. N. Phoads. Skulls 

 of bats were sent to Dr. Harrison Allen, of I'hiladelphia, who is engaged 

 in the preparation of a monograph on the North American sjiecies. 



Dr. A. S. Packard, of Providence, P. I., who has been engaged iii 

 the study of the North American Bombycid moths, was allowed free 

 access to the INIuseum collections, and such species as required a more 

 detailed study were forwarded to him. Extended anatomical researches 

 have been made by Prof. E. D. Cope, in connection with his new 

 oi)hiological system. Prof. F. W. Coding, of l^utland. 111., has been 

 aided in his study of Fitch's tyijes of insects. Tlie collection of fossil 

 plants from the Trinity rocks, near Glen Rose, Tex., were studied by 

 Prof. William ."NI. Fontaine, of the University of Virginia, who made an 

 elaborate report on the same. Dr. Samuel H. Scuddcr, of Cambridge, 

 Mass., has been engaged in an investigation of tlie Orthoptera of the 

 Galapagos Islands. The work of Dr. O. P. Hay on the Indiana reptiles 

 was completed during the present year. The skulls of bears and fur 



