124 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, '03 



interesting feature is the series of specimens representing the 

 genera of North American beetles, this being the line along 

 which the owner has put his best endeavors. It is doubtful if 

 so complete a lot can be shown in any other cabinet, public or 

 private, in the country. A few* squares away, may be seen the 

 collections of Dr. Blaisdell, extremely rich in Californian spe- 

 cies, the interest just now centering in the Tenebrionidae, 

 especially Eleodes, upon which group the Doctor is now at 

 work. Mr. Letcher is supplementing a large collection of 

 Pacific Coast lyCpidoptera by one of beetles, and is a most wel- 

 come addition to the ranks of students of the order. Across 

 the bay, at Oakland, Dr. Van Dyke has one of the finest col- 

 lections of Coleoptera on the Coast, the result largely of his 

 own travels about the State, while certain genera which engross 

 his attention at present have been nearly completed. 



The California Academy of Sciences has in its museum a 

 considerable collection of insects. This is under the charge of 

 Mr. Fuchs, excepting the Lepidoptera, which are cared^for by 

 Dr. Behr. The most valuable portion is the Baja Californian 

 series, the result of several trips to the peninsula by Dr. Eisen, 

 Miss Brandegee, Mr. Vaslit and Mr. Haynes. These collec- 

 tions have been worked out by specialists, and Mr. Fuchs has 

 adopted a system of arrangement whereby the types are kept 

 separate from the rest, and thus rendered more readily access- 

 ible. He has in preparation a list of these types, and of others 

 which are in the possession of entomologists on the Pacific 

 Coast, so that when this is made public it will be an easy matter 

 for the student to find the ones he wishes to examine. 



Besides the Lower Californian material, which for the pres- 

 ent is kept separate from the rest, the Academy has a consid- 

 erable series from other sources. The collection of the late 

 Capt. D. H. Murdoch belongs here now, and contains some 

 very good things, but is unfortunately deficient in labelling, 

 not even a State record appearing on most of the pins. Another 

 collection consists of specimens from the mainland of Mexico. 

 Smaller lots from various sources make up a fair-sized aggre- 

 gate. Aside from the Coleoptera I have no knowledge of the 

 cabinet, since I neglected to examine the collections in the 

 other orders. 



