LOCAL INSECT COLLECTION 21 
of this number. Now efforts are being made not only to complete the 
collection, but also to install it in a way convenient for use, so that it may 
be of value as an aid in the difficult task of identifying specimens and as 
a record of this branch of the local fauna. 
Considerable collecting was done during the past summer to help 
fill up the gaps in the series, and now the New York Entomological 
Society has kindly undertaken to assist in the work. In fact the custody 
of the collection has been turned over to the Society, which has chosen a 
curator whose duty it is to care for the specimens and to attend to keep- 
ing the records. Several times a month members of the Society meet at 
the Museum and spend the greater part of the day working over the 
collections, adding from their private coilections the species which are 
lacking and seeing that all specimens are correctiy identified and labeled. 
The importance of the work that they are doing cannot be overestimated. 
When one realizes that within fifty miles of New York City there are 
still more than seven thousand species of insects which are not represented 
in our collection, it will be seen what a task has been undertaken. Con- 
siderable progress, however, has already been made. Messrs. Angell, 
Bischoff, Dow, Englehardt, Harris, Joutell, Leng, Schaeffer and Winter- 
steiner are taking up the Coleoptera group by group, and of the one 
hundred twenty-five species which they have considered the local coilec- 
tion now contains one hundred eleven, whereas it formerly contained 
only eighty-three. Messrs. Comstock, Poilard and Watson are paying 
particular attention to the Lepidoptera; Dr. Love has undertaken the 
non-parasitic Hymenoptera; Messrs. Barber and Olsen, the Hemiptera, 
and Mr. Davis has already straightened out the Orthoptera and Odonata 
and expects to arrange the lower orders. Thus it wiil be seen that with 
the exception of the Diptera and the parasitic Hymenoptera the local 
insect collection is in the hands of men weil competent to take care of 
them. 
In connection with the work and to facilitate the study of the local 
coilection some important alterations have been made on the north side 
of the gallery of the Insect Hail. The collection has been taken out of 
the open exhibition cases and put into light-proof cabinets along the side 
of the hall. Reference books and instruments have been provided and 
cork-topped tables in which are iockers where students may keep their 
material. Visitors desiring to consult the coliection now may do so by 
asking the attendant to unlock the cabinets for them. The valuable 
