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American types where American students could get hold of them — an 

 example by no means generally followed by Americans themselves. 



In the Lepidoplera, the collection does not rank high. I have been 

 over the Heterocera several times and over the Rhopalocera on one oc- 

 casion and it ranks far behind the individual Lepidopterological collec- 

 tions enumerated. It has however many types of Packard's description, 

 mostly in miserable condition, and many species named by Zeller, which, 

 considering that this author wrote considerably on our species, are valuable. 



The Chambers' types of Tineidse add little perhaps to the value of 

 the collection owing to their poor condition. 



What the representation is in the other orders, I confess I do not 

 know. It is certainly good, without having any special claims to high 

 rank. In the Myriapods Meinerl's recent paper shows the collection of 

 Chilopoda to be a good one. 



Dr. Hagen has also devoted much time to the formation of a biolo- 

 gical collection, and has accumulated an extremely interesting and in- 

 structive series, largely however of European species. 



The Cambridge Museum is well worthy a visit by any entomologist, 

 and specialists in some orders cannot afford not to visit it. 



The last branch of my subject and the end of my tax on your pati- 

 ence is a review of the insect collections in the U. S. National Museum, 

 with which I have the honor to be connected as assistant curator. 



By the courtesy of Prof. Riley the Honorary Curator, I have per- 

 mission to tell all that I know myself; as I have learned in the three years 

 that I have worked in it to love and know the collection as though it 

 were my own I may be pardoned if I speak somewhat enthusiastically of 

 this collection and its future. 



I will first give an account of how our collection is kept, and this 

 subject was a matter of very full discussion between Prof Riley and my- 

 self before a final standard was agreed upon. Prof. Riley had care- 

 fully studied the methods in use in museums here and abroad, and the 

 standards adopted, seemed to him most practical and safe. 



Two styles were finally adopted as most convenient and best adapt- 

 ed for the varying wants of various orders. 



The one is a small, 8x13 inches wooden box 2Y2 inches deep, calcu- 

 lated for the temporary reception of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera and 

 Hemiptera; the other a square, glass covered drawer 18x18 outside meas- 

 urement, for Lepidoptera and the other orders containing large insects and 

 as permanent cabinet drawer. Our small boxes are all cork-lined, since 

 all concerned are believers in the convenience and utility of that matenial, 

 the top and bottom are of cross-grained thin pine stuff", the two thick- 

 nesses calculated to control warping. Inside they are lined with white 



