EEPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 91 



plation. Col. Thomas L. Caesy, U. S. Army, made an investigation 



of the fossil and recent Pleurotonidse for a classification of that family. 



Regarding- the insect collections. Doctor Howard reports as follows: 



Prof. J. B. Smith, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, W. D. Kearfott, of New York, 

 Dr. W. J. Holland, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Win. Schaus, London, England, and 

 others, have consulted the collection of Lepidoptera; John H. Emerton, of Boston, 

 and Prof. R. V. Chamberlain, of Cornell University, made use of the collection of 

 Arachnidse; C. Schaeffer, of Brooklyn, Dr. Henry Skinner, of Philadelphia, and 

 others, have made studies on our Coleoptera; several physicians have examined our 

 collection of mosquito larva\ The Carnegie Institute has also had the use of our 

 PoliMse for the purpose of illustrating a paper on the American species. 



Regarding investigation carried on in the national herbarium, Mr. 

 Coville reports as follows: 



Dr. E. L. Greene, of the Catholic University of America, has spent much time 

 here engaged on various lines of systematic work. Dr. N. L. Britton, director of the 

 New York Botanical Garden, has been a frequent visitor, being engaged with .Mr. 

 Rose in preparing a monograph of the North American genera of Crassulacese, which 

 will soon be published. Mr. Theo. Holm, of Brookland, District of Columbia, has 

 frequently been here to examine our Carices. He has frequently borrowed material 

 to take to his home, and we have had specimens sent on here for him to study. We 

 have endeavored to give him every facility to carry on his work and to grant all 

 requests consistent-with the Museum rules and regulations. Prof. E. L. Morris, of the 

 Washington High School, has been studying the genus Plantago, doing much of his 

 work at the herbarium. We have borrowed several collections for him from other 

 institutions. 



The following persons from the Department of Agriculture, in addition to those 

 officially connected with the Division, have frequently consulted the herbarium: 

 Mr. L. H. Dewey, Mr. V. K. Chestnut, Mr. W. F. Wight, Mr. C. L. Sheer, Mr. C. R. 

 Ball, Mr. P. L. Ricker, Mr. C. F. Wheeler, Mr. C. V. Piper, Mr. Scofield. 



SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES AND INVESTIGATIONS. 



While the preparations for the St. Louis Exposition occupied a 

 portion of the time of nearly every member of the scientific staff, on 

 the other hand the separate management of the exhibition work by a 

 chief designated for that purpose more than compensated for the diver- 

 sion. The scientific work accomplished during the year, therefore, 

 showed no important diminution as compared with that of previous 

 years. A complete list of papers published will be found under the 

 heading ' ' Bibliography ". 



Work on the manual of the Birds of North and Middle America was 

 continued by Mr. Ridgway without interruption during the year. 

 Part 1 of this work was published in 1901 and part 2 in 1902. Part 3 

 was printed to page 172 and the manuscript for the remainder com- 

 pleted and sent to press. Of part 1, more than TOO pages of manuscript 

 were made ready for the printer, and the work beyond that point is well 

 in hand. Mr. Ridgway was assisted after January 1, 1901, by Mr. J . H. 

 Riley, who prepared the necessary tables of measurements, etc. 



