REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF INSECTS IN THE U. S. NATIONAL 



MUSEUM, 1888. 



By Dr. C. V. Eiley, Honorary Curator. 



Considerable progress has been made during the past year in the 

 arrangement of material, and much more could have been made but 

 for the crowded condition of the laboratory, which makes it imj)ossible 

 to expand and properly arrange the collections. Additional room is 

 sadly needed, and I earnestly urge that in some way it be obtained. 



During the early part of the year a beginning was made in the ar- 

 rangement of the Coleoptera, and at intervals this has been continued 

 until all available space is occupied and but the smallest part of the 

 material worked up. Later some of the large Bombycid Lepidoptera 

 were arranged in cabinet drawers so far as these held out. In some of 

 the genera of the ISToctuidsB studies were made of the material ar- 

 ranged. In the Diptera the Bombyliidse were separated out and tenta- 

 tively arranged, but there is no shelf room for the boxes, and they are 

 piled up on the cabinets, reducing the working space, and much more 

 exposed to infection from Museum pests. A very large part of the 

 first half of the year was employed in annotating and critically over- 

 hauling the Glover plates with the view of possibly editing them for 

 publication. 



Early in 1888 a re-arrangement of the collections on tbe floor of the 

 Museum gave the department a fair exhibition court, and the collec- 

 tions already prepared were removed thereto, and other boxes were 

 prepared, so that we have at present a very fair exhibit collection on 

 the floor of the Museum. Several table cases, affording considerable 

 storage room, were also assigned to the department, and have been in 

 large part filled. 



A considerable proportion of the time was occupied in giving infor- 

 mation about specimens sent, not only those of which accessions were 

 made, but also of those which, although of no value whatever to the 

 collection, are often much more troublesome, involving questions as to 

 life habits, methods of collecting, and determinations. 



About one hundred and fifty letters were written exclusive of the re- 

 ports on accessions, and about twenty lots of species were determined 

 for students and collectors. 



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