10 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



additions to this group, they being particularly valuable because 

 many of the forms are represented by both sexes, and in not a 

 few instances by the larvae and the gall from which the insects are 

 reared. Other additions to the State collections have been large, 

 there being a total of over 10,000 pinned specimens. A number of 

 very desirable species have been obtained through exchange. 



A representative collection of New York State insects is almost 

 necessary for satisfactory work along economic lines. The as- 

 sembling of a large lot of insects involves far more labor than the 

 average man suspects. The additions to the State collection during 

 the past three or four years have ranged from 10,000 to 15,000 

 pinned specimens, all of which have to be properly labeled, assigned 

 to their various groups and eventually determined. There has been, 

 since the present Entomologist took charge of this office, an approx- 

 imately sixfold increase in the size of the State collection. The 

 Federal Bureau of Entomology, through the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, has about six trained experts in charge of as many groups 

 of insects, and they in turn have at their command a number of 

 assistants. These men classify and arrange specimens, thus cov- 

 ering (though in much greater detail) a field which we must care 

 for with but two assistants, not to mention the other lines of work. 

 A large proportion of the curatorial work in connection with arrang- 

 ing the collections devolves upon the assistants, and it is a pleasure 

 to state that material progress has been made along this line. 

 Assistant Entomologist D. B. Young has, during the past year, 

 given considerable time to classifying the parasitic wasps, Ichneu- 

 monidae, and a portion of the Braconidae and also Hymenoptera 

 belonging to the following groups : Pompilidae, Larridae, Bembec- 

 idae, Nyssonidae, Philanthidae, Pemphredonidae and Crabronidae. 

 He has also done more or less incidental work with the Diptera. 

 Assistant I. L. Nixon determined and arranged a number of the 

 solitary bees, Andrenidae, assisted in arranging the Ichneumonidae 

 and determined and arranged many of the Curculionidae. In addi- 

 tion he went over the Hill collection, noticed below, repairing and 

 arranging many of the specimens and is responsible for a portion 

 of the catalogue of this collection. 



The Hill collection, an exceptionally valuable addition to the 

 State collections, was received through the generosity of Erastus 

 D. Hill, Carrie J. Hill Van Vleck and William W. Hill, heirs 

 of the late William W. Hill, who desired that the father's 

 work should be maintained as a permanent memorial of his 



