Miscellanies. 367 



dous process requires no little skill and patience in the execution ; 

 they are then to be determined, labelled and fixed in a box in order 

 to be baked, an operation essential to their future preservation ; and 

 lastly they are to be placed in proper order in the drawers where 

 they are to remain, with the names of the families and genera affixed 

 to them. 



" The drawers in which the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera are con- 

 tained, I have supplied with strips of soft pithy wood to receive the 

 pins of the insects ; but having exhausted my supply, in preparing 

 the drawers in the cabinet of the society, I have been obliged to sus- 

 pend my labors until the remaining drawers shall be prepared in the 

 same way ; for experience has taught me the necessity of having 

 the drawers lined entirely, or partially, at least, to receive the slender 

 pins used for insects and render them safe in their places. 



" The additions to the cabinet of insects during the past year con- 

 sist of one box of Chinese insects, and one double box containing 

 specimens from South America, both presented by Col Baker: nine- 

 teen specimens in spirit from Calcutta, presented by Mr. Dixwell : 

 one hundred and fifty one specimens from the Cyclades and Mar- 

 seilles, presented by Mr. Richards : one small box of specimens 

 packed between layers of paper, collected in the island of Syra, and 

 presented by the Rev. J. J. Robertson : and a box of Swedish Co- 

 leoptera, containing two hundred and forty one specimens from Mr. 

 Fabraeus of Gottenburg, sent for exchange through Dr. J. S. Copley 

 Greene, in return for which, an equal number of specimens has been 

 selected from our duplicates and sent to Mr. Fabraeus. 



" Mr. W. W. Wood of Manilla, from whom the society received, dur- 

 ing the last year, three boxes of exceedingly valuable insects through 

 the kindness of Mr. Russell, has in reply to a letter from me, ofiered 

 to collect and send to us more insects from the Phillippine islands, if 

 we will furnish him with boxes, pins and camphor ; and I would re- 

 commend the society to embrace his liberal offer, and supply him 

 with the means of executing it. 



"Dr. Zimmerman, the author of a work on the Carabidae, when 

 here on a visit from the South, during the last summer, received 

 from Dr. Gould and myself a large collection of the duplicates be- 

 longing to the society, in return for which he promised to send an 

 equal number of species from the Cape of Good Hope, and other 

 countries, the entomology of which is not yet represented in our 

 cabinet. 



