REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND CURATOR 

 OF THE MUSEUM. 



Sir: As the Economic Museumj connected with, this Department, is 

 a branch of the Entomological Division, it has been ijrincipally engaged 

 for the past year — and for several months previous — in the collection, 

 preparation, and arrangement of the series of exhibits illustrating the 

 workings of this branch of the Department at the Centennial Exhibition 

 in Philadelphia. To my assistant, Mr. Charles E. Dodge, was given the 

 supervision of the museum work, and the whole labor of both branches 

 has been performed without the aid of additional force, with the excep- 

 tion that Mr. F. G. Sanborn was employed six months to assist in prepa- 

 ration of the exhibit of entomology. 



The report of Mr. Dodge on that portion of the work referring to the 

 Centennial, together witb my own report on the Romoj)tera^ is respect- 

 fully Bubmitted. 



TOWIn'END GLOYER. 



Hon. Feedk. Watts, 



Commissioner, 



DEPAETIdENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



February 1, 1877. 



Sir: Upon learning your wishes in regard to the manner in which 

 the museum should be represented at the International Exhibition in 

 Philadelphia, three circulars were prepared, and were early sent out to 

 a carefully-selocted list of regular correspondents of the Department, 

 in from three to six localities in different portions of the various grain, 

 wool, or cotton growing States, for representative specimens of these 

 products. Each circular so sent was accompanied with bags, labels, and 

 directions for the shipment of specimens, so that no mistakes could 

 occur, and the specimens themselves would not be liable to injury by 

 careless packing. As fast as the samples were received at the Depart- 

 ment, they were catalogued and numbered, the accompanying labels 

 carefully filed, and the specimens prepared for exhibition, making, 

 when complete, a collection of over 800 samples of wheat, barley, rye, 

 oats, buckwheat, maize, &c. ; 500 specimens of wool, many of the ex- 

 hibition-jars containing series from different animals of the same flock; 

 and 200 specimens of cotton, both seed and lint. 



From the regular collection of the museum and other sources a full 

 series of flax, jute, hemp, ramie, silk, and miscellaneous fibers, including 

 paper-stock, were obtained, to complete the fiber exhibit. A large col- 

 lection of tobacco was also made, representing a score of States, to which 

 were added about a dozen specimens from the museum, and these, for 

 the sake of uniformitj'', were pressed into boxes measuring 5 by 15 inches 

 and 2 J inches deep; in all, nearly one hundred. 



In addition to the above direct products of the soil and iu connection 



with them, samples of their various manufactures were obtained and 



exhibited side by side, showing, in the case of the grains, the flours, 



starches, and fancy food products; with the wools and other fibers, the 



2 A 17 



