20 REPORT OF THE. COMMISSIONER OF AGErCULTUEE. 



species. Insects injurious or annoying to bees, to cattle, and to man- 

 kind. Tliirty species. 



Case jR.— Objects of insect architecture, with the species employed in 

 producing them. Forty-eight specimens. 



Cases S and I. — In these two cases are shown seventy species of the most 

 common forms of our beneficial insects. (These should have been placed 

 in the general collection, after the insects they are known to destroy, 

 but it was decided to group them together for the present.) 



Case U. — Thirty-one species of insects beneficial as scavengers by re- 

 moving filth and carrion. 



Cases V and TT. — These two cases are devoted to silk-producing in- 

 sects, and contain about thirty specimens illustrating this industry. 



CaseX. — In this case are gathered together a few insecticides, so called, 

 and traps or devices for destroying insects. 



The birds beneficial and injurious to American agriculture were shown 

 in a case by themselves, labeled, as in the museum, with scientific and 

 common name, and brief facts regarding benefit or injury, as well as 

 suitable marks of distinction on the end of each perch, black to show 

 the evil habits of the bird, and white to show the proportion of good, 

 by their destruction of noxious insects. With many of the specimens 

 the contents of the stomach was exhibited to verify the statements upon 

 the label. 



The collection of domestic poultry was made almost complete by the 

 purchase of 80 specimens of fowls, ducks, and pigeons, which were pre- 

 pared and exhibited with a careful selection from the collection already 

 existing in the museum of the Department, and these, labeled with the 

 name of breeds, formed an interesting exhibit for the farmer or poultry- 

 fancier. 



The collections were arranged in sixteen -walnut cases, builfc with tho 

 special object of transferment to the gallery of the museum when com- 

 pleted, in order that their great expense should not be lost to the 

 Department, and were allotted a space of 40 by 60 feet. The arrange- 

 ment of the grand whole is in an ascending series, beginning with the 

 products of the earth, as grains, fruits, tobacco, cotton, wool, and other 

 fibers ; next, the insects which prey upon them and blast the hopes of 

 patient labor; and, third, tho birds which restore the balance, and render 

 successful production possible by limiting the depredations of tho count- 

 less hordes of insect spoilers. 



Before leaving this subject, it may not be out of place to state that tho 

 Department is under obligations to many individuals and firms for aid 

 in making collections for the museum, or for valuable donations of sam- 

 ples which could be procured in no other way, prominent among which 

 may be mentioned : 



The Lowell Manufacturing Company, series of samples illustrating 

 manufacture of carpets ; tlie Washington Mills, Lawrence, Massachu 

 setts, a similar series illustrating the manufacture of woolen piece 

 goods ; Chas. A. Stevens & Co., Ware, opera flannels, wool, and manu 

 facture ; Amoskeag and Stark Mills, Manchester, N. H., through LIr, 

 Keuben Dodge, samples illustrating cotton and flax manufacture 

 V-aiious samples of paper-making materials and manufactured paper, to 

 E. ^Morrison & Co., Washington, D. C; Holyoke Paper Company, Had- 

 ley Falls, Mass. -, Askell & Smiths, Canajoharie, K Y. ; Dobler,'Mudgf3 

 & Chapman, and John A. Dushane & Co., Baltimore, Md. ; Itcpublic 

 Mills, Springfield, Ohio, and others. 



The thanks of the Department are also due to many of its regular cor- 

 respondents, who aided materially in tho success of tho exhit)ition by 

 their prompt response to the call for samples of grains and fibers. 



