— i6o — 



from the "Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy", recently 

 established in Washington, under charge of Dr. C. Hart Meriam, in the 

 investigations that are being conducted by it in the food-habits of our 

 insectivorous birds. 



The appointment of one of the active members and an officer of our 

 own club, to the assistant curatorship of the Department of Entomology 

 uf the National Museum, under provisions that will permit of the proper 

 care and increase of the collections, is a gratifying event of the past year. 

 This Department now contains the Riley collection recently donated to 

 it of 15,000 species and 1 15,000 specimens; the collection of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture of 50,000 specimens, and probably 5000 species 

 not in the Riley collection; the collection of the National Museum 

 proper, estimated at 20,000 specimens, and 2,000 species not in the other 

 collections; and the New Orleans Exposition exhibited collection of 

 economic entomology, of which a catalogue has been printed and di- 

 stributed. 



The aggregate may be given as 200,000 mounted specimens, and 

 26,000 distinct species. {Science, November 20, 1885, vi, p. 445.) 



The admirably prepared collection of Lepidoptera of Mr. Otto 

 Meske, of Albany, N. Y., embracing a fine exhibit of the New York 

 fauna, rare material from Texas and other western States, together with 

 an excellent representation of the European fauna, received through the 

 exchanges conducted for many years with Dr. A. Speyer, of Austria, has 

 recently been purchased by the National Museum, and is now in its 

 possession. 



The collection of Insects of the Peabody Academy of Science, at 

 Salem, has been deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 

 Cambridge. It had mainly been brought together by Prof. A. S. Pack- 

 ard, and contained a large proportion of his types, including all those, 

 (except four belonging to other entomologists) of his Monograph of 

 Geometrid Moths. It also contained types of other eminent ento- 

 mologists. 



I feel that an apology is due for the length of my paper. Its excuse 

 must be found in the activity that has characterized entomological study 

 Ibr the past year. Even in the time that I have occupied, 1 have only 

 been able to refer to some of the work done, while omiittng much that 

 is equally — perhaps more worthy of notice. 



(To be continued.) 



