REPOET OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 35 



MOLLUSKS. 



A large portion of the time of the curator and his corps of assist- 

 ants has been spent in unpacking, labeling, and repacking the large 

 and valuable collection of mollusks bequeathed to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution by the late Dr. Isaac Lea, of Philadelphia. This collection 

 includes about 20,000 specimens, and a description of it will be found 

 in the report of Mr. William H. Dall, honorary curator. 



Special investigations have been made in connection with the deep- 

 sea mollusks collected by the steamers BlaTce and Albatross on the east- 

 ern coast of the United States and among the Antilles. A study of the 

 fauna of the Miocene Silex beds of Tampa Bay has been made. Mr. Dall 

 has also found time to study the relations of the members of the Tertiary 

 moUusk fauna with the recent species of the coast. 



The condition of the collection is now very satisfactory, and the curator 

 estimates that during the year 30,000 additional specimens have been 

 added. 



Dr. E. B. C. Stearns, adjunct curator, has devoted his time to arrang- 

 ing, classifying, and labeling the collections, and, in addition to the 

 routine work of the department, has prei3ared for publication several 

 papers based upon museum material. A list of these papers will be 

 found in Section iv of this report. 



During the year at least 30,000 specimens have been added to the 

 collection, and 11,799 entries (including Cenozoic fossils) have been made 

 in the catalogue books. 



INSECTS. 



Considerable progress has been made in connection with the arrange- 

 ment of material in the Department of Insects during the year. Owing 

 to lack of room it has not been possible to properly expand and arrange 

 the collections, and additional space is urgently needed. Early in the 

 year the arrangement of Coleoptera and of the large Bombycid Lepi- 

 doptera was commenced. Studies were made of some of the genera of 

 the Noctuidse. The annotative and critical overhauling of the Glover 

 plates, with the view of possibly preparing them for publication, occu- 

 pied a large part of the first half of the year. 



Eequests sent to this department for the determination of material 

 have been very numerous, and much time has been consumed in identi- 

 fying specimens. The questions submitted as to the life habits, methods 

 of collecting, and determination of insects, often require considerable 

 research. Prof. C. Y. Eiley, honorary curator, states in his report that 

 not less than one hundred and fifty letters, reporting names and habits 

 of specimens sent for determination , were written during the year. The 

 number of accessions received was not as large as last year, but their 

 value is fully equal to that of the accessions of the previous year. The 

 ipreservation of the material in this department requires great care, and 

 much time is required to protect these specimens from museum pests. 



