The American Museum Journal 



Vol.. VI. OCTOBER, igur.. Xo. 4 



BRIEF REPORTS FROM RETURNED EXPE- 

 DITIONS. 



I.— THE EXPEDITION TO COLORADO FOR FOSSIL INSECTS. 



jHERE are three localities famous among paleon- 

 ' tologists for the great number of tertiary fossil 

 I insects they have yielded: CEningen in Bavaria, 

 ■■ Radoboj in Croatia, and Florissant in Colorado. 

 Although the specimens found in the European 

 localities are, as a rule, somewhat better preserved, the number 

 and variety of those found at Florissant are much greater. Thus 

 Scudder, our leading authority on fossil insects, found in the latter 

 locality "in a single summer more than double the number of 

 specimens which the famous localities at CEningen in Bavaria 

 furnished Heer in thirty years." ^Moreover, the quarries at 

 Florissant are "fifty times as extensive and far more easily 

 worked." ■ Besides an enormous number of plant remains, such 

 as leaves, seeds, twigs, flowers, buds, etc., remains of molluscs, 

 spiders, fishes and birds have also been taken in this locality. 

 The vast collections made by Scudder were described in a series 

 of important papers and monographs beginning in 1876 and 

 terminating in 1900, when a serious illness overtook the talented 

 entomologist and prevented him from continuing his monumental 

 work, ^luch undescribed material still remains in our large 

 museums. 



The credit for having revived an interest in Florissant is due 

 to Judge Junius Henderson and Professor T. D. A. Cockerell, 

 both of the University of Colorado. The former gentleman 

 organized an expedition to Florissant during the summer of 1905 

 and secured large and valuable collections for the Universit}^ 

 Museum. Professor T. D. A. and Mrs. W. P. CockereU main- 

 tained a temporar}' laborator}' at Florissant during the past 



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