1G6 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



Practically the entire mouth of June, 1888, was occupied iu prepar- 

 ing for the Cinciuuati exi)ositiou. Aud as the time was limited aud uo 

 outside assistance obtainable, I had to draw on the divisional force of 

 the Department of Agriculture to get the exhibit ready in time. In- 

 deed the amount of work to be done in arranging our extensive collec- 

 tion is so great that I earnestly recommend the appointment of an 

 additional assistant. 



The accessions during the year numbered but fifty-eight against one 

 hundred and two during the previous year. The apparent falling off 

 is entirely accounted for by the fact that during the summer of 1886 

 and spring of 1887 a very large number of specimens of Belostoma 

 americana and Dynastes tityus were received, these species appearing 

 in abnormal quantities in several portions of our territory. This year 

 for some reason these insects are much less abundant and attracted no 

 general attention, and hence the apparent decrease in number of acces- 

 sions received. 



As a matter of fact the number of receipts of real value are fully 

 equal to those of the previous year, and, as before, many species and 

 specimens were added by myself and assistants, of which no formal 

 record was made. Indeed, as in previous years, by far the largest 

 amount of valuable material has been added as the result of my work 

 as United States entomologist. These collections come from the vari- 

 ous field agents of the Department of Agriculture and those made 

 by Mr. Albert Koebele, of Alameda, California, Mr. D. W. Coquillett, 

 of Los Angeles, California, and by Mr. Lawrence Bruner, of West 

 Point, Nebraska, are particularly worthy of mention. These, with the 

 constant material that daily comes to the Division of Entomology from 

 its correspondents, have been turned over by me without special acces- 

 sion numbers, and I mention them particularly here because the perma- 

 nent numbered accessions give no sort of idea of the rich additions 

 which are constantly being made to our collections. In the future I 

 hope to have the work so systematized that I can indicate the more 

 important of these additions by accession number. 



The following is a list of the more importg^nt numbered accessions, 

 which represent many hundreds of specimens : 



111 August one specimen Acanthocinus nodosus from Robert A. Mills, Chuluota, 

 Florida. No. 19,478. The specimen was a line one and was very acceptable, though 

 tlie species is represented in our collections. 



In September there was added a vial of winged Termites from E. Hitchcock, Osaka, 

 Japan. No. 19,302. Interesting from their locality, and for comparison with our 

 own species. 



Eighteen vials of Arachnida and Myriopoda from Macon, Georgia, collected by L. 

 M. Underwood. No. 19,526. 



Six vials of Arachnida and Myriopoda from Indian Springs, Georgia, collected by L. 

 M. Underwood. No. 19,533. 



Six vials of Arachnida and Myriopoda from Georgia, collected by L. M. Underwood. 

 No, 19,542. Prof. L. M. Underwood, of Syracuse, New York, was for two months — 

 August and September, 1887 — in the employ of the Department as a collector of 



