Vol. XI] EVERMANN— DIRECTOR'S REPORT FOR 1921 53^ 



Calif. Other valuable donations were received from Dr. F. E. Blaisdell, 

 including several paratypes and many eastern beetles, Mr. Louis Slevin, 

 California insects, Mr. E. R. Leach, Mr. Chas. Kendrick, Mr. J. W. 

 Mailliard, Mr. W. M. Giffard, and Mr. Jos. Mailliard. During three 

 months of the year the curator had the help of Mr. J. O. Martin in 

 mounting and labelling the specimens received. 



The most pressing need in this department for the coming year is 

 the purchase of more cabinet boxes. At least four cases of 168 boxes 

 should be added this year to make possible the proper systematic arrange- 

 ment of the material that has been studied and is ready for incorpora- 

 tion in our systematic collections. Material stored away, as much of 

 ours now is, is not only unavailable for study but is subject to attack 

 by insect pests. 



The curator would like again to call attention to the exceptional op- 

 portunity now existing for the Academy to take the lead in the 

 entomological exploration of the Sonoran region of Mexico, an oppor- 

 tunity which it soon will be too late to embrace. This region was not 

 covered in the work of securing material for the Biologia Centrali- 

 Americana, and almost no systematic collecting has been done there 

 except the little accomplished by the Academy in the early nineties. The 

 importance of our occupying this field while it still is open to us is 

 shown by the large number of new forms secured by this year's Gulf 

 expedition. It is quite possible that the results of that expedition in the 

 field of entomology will nearly or quite double the number of species 

 known from those states, and at that but a start was made. The task 

 is not limitless. New species now are not easy to find in the eastern 

 states and that soon will be true of the Sonoran region, which includes 

 Sonora, Lower California, Arizona and Southern California. Few insti- 

 tutions now have the chance to open up such a rich fauna at its very 

 doors, and to secure the types of the many new forms, and the oppor- 

 tunity should not be allowed to pass unimproved. 



Edward P. Van Duzee, Curator. 



Department of Herpetology 



The Department of Herpetology during the year 1921 progressed 

 satisfactorily and the work accomplished compares favorably with that 

 of previous years. 



At the beginning of the year 1921 the Academy's collection of reptiles 

 and amphibians numbered 41,504 specimens. There have been added 

 during the year 5,002 specimens, so that the collection has grown to 

 46,506 specimens. 



The number of specimens added during each of the past six years 

 has been about as follows: in 1916, 1,500 specimens; in 1917, 1,600; in 

 1918, 1,724; in 1919, 2,666; in 1920, 1,466, and in 1921, 5,002. 



Gifts of specimens during the year have been received as follows : 

 From Miss Mary McLellan, 106 specimens; Dr. Thomas Barbour, 18; 

 Prof. V. M. Tanner, 10; Richard P. Erwin, 200; Dr. E. C Van Dyke, 7; 



