FOREWORD 



The Casey Collection of Coleoptera bequeathed to the United States 

 National Museum by Thomas Lincoln Casey, basis of a lifetime of 

 investigation on the part of one of the foremost coleopterists in 

 America, rich in types, with carefully selected specimens of a high 

 degree of perfection in preparation, contains material that is of con- 

 stant and permanent value to other systematic workers in the multi- 

 tude of families that Colonel Casey covered in his extended and pains- 

 taking researches. It is the most important single gift that has come 

 to the section to which it pertains in the Division of Insects. 



Few words are necessary to explain that a private collection used by 

 one highly trained and careful individual may be kept and handled 

 successfully under an arrangement that is impossible in a public insti- 

 tution where material is consulted by many research workers. To 

 conserve space Colonel Casey pinned his specimens as closely as pos- 

 sible. To conserve time he used a method in labeling that, while safe 

 and efifective for his purposes, would certainly lead to disastrous con- 

 fusion if placed' in the hands of many. No one had fuller under- 

 standing of these facts than Colonel Casey himself, and usually he 

 handled his specimens personally when examining them with scientific 

 visitors. 



The question of safeguarding this collection adequately became para- 

 mount at once on its receipt in the National Museum. Dr. J. M. 

 Aldrich, Associate Curator of the Division of Insects, with the ad- 

 vice of S. A. Rohwer, Entomologist in Charge of Taxonomic Inves- 

 tigations, Bureau of Entomology, on March 3, 1925, called a confer- 

 ence of coleopterists and others interested to consider this matter. At 

 this meeting Mr. Rohwer presented a set of resolutions, adopted after 

 due discussion, that indicated the importance of the collection and the 

 necessity of careful labeling and arrangement before the material was 

 thrown open to general consultation and use. The necessary funds 

 for effecting this were a matter for some consideration. The matter 

 rested here until August 12, 1925, when I appointed a committee to 

 consider recommendations for procedure, consisting of Dr. Aldrich 

 as chairman, assisted by W. S. Fisher and H. S. Barber of the Bureau 

 of Entomology, and Dr. E. A. Chapin of the Zoological Division of 

 the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. After due and careful consideration this group rendered a 

 report on September 15 which, with some slight modification, has 



