168 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



In the autumn and early winter the curator made another trip to 

 Europe, taking with him a number of interesting and undetermined 

 species, especiallj^ among the Micro-lepidoptera, for determination and 

 comparison. A number of correspondents and specialists were met 

 and a number of notes in some of the largest museums were made. 



In August, 1887, both the curator and the assistant curator, Mr. J. B. 

 Smith, attended the meeting of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science at New York City. Mr. Smith took with him a 

 series of the undetermined Geometridce in the Museum collection for 

 comparison with the New York collections, and nearly all of these were 

 determined. 



During this trip quite a number of collections were examined by Mr. 

 Smith, and some good material was obtained for our collection. 



A large lot of material was received through the curator from the 

 Department of Agriculture, and its proper disposition occupied consid- 

 erable time. 



During September the curator was absent in Europe, while the as- 

 sistant was on leave during the greater portion of the month. The 

 time available was entirely devoted to overhauling the collection, to 

 correspondence, and to placing the material received, which was un- 

 usually abundant. 



During the month of October the Williston collection of Syrphidce 

 was received at the Museum, and this, containing 263 species in 729 

 specimens, was carefully gone over, checked, and general condition 

 noted. 



The SpMngidce or Hawk Moths were re-arranged in conformity with a 

 monograph which Mr. Smith has been preparing and which is referred 

 to later on. 



The series contains 69 species in 250 specimens. The duplicates were 

 also arranged and formed a series of 39 species in 167 specimens, the 

 majority of which, however, were used later in the exhibit series. 



In the same family the biologic material was also arranged, and illus- 

 trates more or less completely 27 species. There are 64 imagines, 60 

 blown larvae, 23 pupae, and 34 vials, containing upwards of 50 speci- 

 mens of larvae and eggs. Altogether about 231 specimens in the series. 

 There are, in addition, a series of, as yet, undetermined larvae. 



In the Coleoptera the family Gicindelklce was classified and arranged 

 in seven boxes. The collection contains 99 species and varieties in 713 

 specimens, and is therefore an extremely rich one. 



A duplicate series, formed at the same time, shows 47 species and va- 

 rieties in 747 specimens. 



In November an unusual number of species for determination were 

 received from correspondents of the Museum, from some of which good 

 material was obtained for our collection. 



In the Orthoptera the unnamed material in Acridiidw was selected 

 out and sent to Mr. Lawrence Bruner, of West Point, Nebraska, for 



