104 Annals Entomological Society of America  [Vol. VII, 
The Committee on Nomenclature presented an informal 
report which was ordered accepted. 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENTOMOLOGICAL TYPES. 
One of us (Cockerell) examined the collections of the U. S. National 
Museum and the Carnegie Museum during the year. The types, so 
far as seen, were found in excellent condition, but not all in systematic 
order or available for study and comparison without some searching. 
We know of no museum in which the entomological staff is really 
adequate. At the Carnegie Museum one is amazed at the richness and 
value of the collections, including materials which have been described 
in many important memoirs, and enormous numbers of specimens not 
yet worked over, but evidently including much of interest. The 
entomological curator has succeeded in keeping everything in good 
condition, but it would take a considerable staff of workers to put the 
collections all in order and keep the accessions worked up. At the 
U. S. National Museum one finds a large staff of well-known entomolo- 
gists, many of whom work over time and on holidays in the effort to 
keep the collections in order and work up the accessions. However, 
the appearance of an adequate entomological staff is illusory, since 
nearly all of the men belong to the Bureau of Entomology of the Depart- 
ment of. Agriculture, and have to give their attention to economic 
problems and routine work of various kinds. Judging by the large 
amount of published work issued from the Museum, one might suppose 
the number of workers to be sufficient, but this idea is soon dispelled 
on examining the very large and important collections remaining 
unstudied and noting the continued stream of accessions. The scien- 
tific staff of the National Museum is inadequate in almost all depart- 
ments, but especially in Entomology, a subject which covers a much 
greater and more important field than the public imagines. The 
type problem becomes part of the general problem of securing adequate 
and competent curatorial assistance; not only for the proper care and 
availability of the types already owned by the Museum, but also and 
especially in regard to obtaining other types. The study and descrip- 
tion of the new species now in the Museum would add thousands of 
types to the collection; while many private workers would give or leave 
their types to the institution, were entomology treated by Congress and 
the authorities as it deserves. 
We think, therefore, that all entomologists should make a point of 
urging, whenever possible, the claims of their science to a larger share 
of support in important Museums. In doing this, they may properly 
point out the astonishing revelations of recent years in regard to the 
importance of various insects to man, showing that a knowledge of 
entomology is of prime importance for the progress of civilization. 
They may also point out that in the case of large public museums, all 
the major expenses have been met, and it is only necessary to add a 
comparatively small amount to greatly increase the scientific output. 
