DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY. 113 



A selection of the more striking specimens acquired during the 

 year have been placed on exhibition in the table-cases. 



Insecta. 



A new edition of the Guide to the Insect Gallery being 

 required, it has been thoroughly revised, and sections dealing 

 with the Coleoptera and Rhynchota, the exhibited series of 

 which were not sufficiently advanced to be described in the 

 previous edition, have been added. At the same time mounted 

 series illustrating these and other Orders have been prepared 

 and exhibited in the Table-Cases. 



The growth of the Collection having made additional 

 accommodation absolutely necessary, the Zoological Library 

 has been transferred to the ground floor, and the room 

 formerly occupied by it has been added to the Insect Section, 

 a change involving a complete re-arrangement of the Insect 

 Collections. This has of necessity interrupted to some extent 

 the ordinary work of the staff, but its virtual completion has 

 now enabled that work to proceed with much greater con- 

 venience. In connection with these changes the Entomological 

 Library has been removed to a more central position in the 

 corridor. 



In the Coleoptera the Byrrhidce and Cleridce have been 

 re-arranged and all accessions incorporated, and a commence- 

 ment has been made with the incorporation of the very large 

 collection of water-beetles {Dytiscid(^\ acquired from Dr. 

 David Sharp, and with a re-arrangement of the entire Museum 

 Collection. Large series of various groups have been sent to 

 foreign specialists for determination during this year, and- 

 those returned have been properly labelled and re-incorpo- 

 rated. The largest series so dealt with are Aphodiinoi (Herr 

 A. Schmidt), Trichopteryc/idce (Mr. I. B. Ericson), Apioninoe 

 (Herr H. Wagner), Staphylinidw (Dr. Bernhauer). The 

 Cossonince contained in the Pascoe and Fry Collections have 

 been incorporated and the entire collection expanded, and 

 many genera in the different groups have been revised, the 

 accessions incorporated, and new species described. A selec- 

 tion of types and other specimens has also been made from the 

 Jacoby Collection. 



The third volume of the Catalogue of Orthoptera has been 

 passed through the press, and will be issued before the end of 

 the financial year 1909-1910. 



In the Hymenoptera considerable progress has been made 

 with the re-arrangement of the Wasps {Diploptera) ; the families 

 Masaridce and EumenidoB have been completed, all accessions 

 incorporated and some new species described. Some progress 

 has also been made with the family Vespidce. 



Mr. Rowland E. Turner has continued to devote his time to 

 the service of the Museum, and has made great progress in the 

 re-arrangement of the Sand-wasps (Fossores), and in addition 

 has worked out two important collections of Hymenoptera 

 from Australia and Ceylon. In the parasitic Hymenoptera 

 90. H 



