GUIDE 



TO THE 



EXHIBITED SERIES OF INSECTS. 



THE specimens of insects exhibited in the gallery are only a very 

 small representative series. The main collection for the purpose of 

 study is kept in cabinets in the Insect Room in the basement. It 

 is estimated to contain 1,150,000 specimens, and comprises about 

 155,700 named species, occupying 13,000 drawers and 602 boxes. 



The public gallery is only partially arranged. 



The specimens are in table-cases placed down the centre of 

 the gallery, numbered 29 to 56. The large specimens which are 

 unsuitable for the table-cases are placed in the wall-cases at the 

 sides of the gallery. 



On each side of the gallery will be seen models (1-85) arranged 

 on shelves, to illustrate the life histories of various insects. Where 

 possible, species likely to be of interest from agricultural or horti- 

 cultural points of view have been chosen. Nos. 11-21 are Aphidce 

 and other Homoptera. Attention is called to the three rose galls 

 of Rhodites eglantericz, nervosus and rosce (23, 25, 27). The reason 

 why these three insects, which are so much alike that they require an 

 expert to separate them, produce such different galls has never been 

 satisfactorily explained. The series of galls made by Gall-flies 

 (Cynipidce, 29-47) is particularly deserving of careful attention. 

 To understand the series of oak galls (29-43), it must be borne in 

 mind that the males only exist in alternate generations, and that the 

 females which appear in the same generation as the males are often so 

 different from the females of the previous and following generations 

 that until this fact was known the insects were placed in different 

 genera. Hence there exists a double set of names for the same 



B 



