188 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



16400. Alcoholic insects (1 vial), from Wytlieville, Va. ; received February 1, 1886. 

 The three last-mentioned accessions are from Col. M. McDonald, U. S. Fish 

 Commission, and consist mostly of aquatic insects, largely neuropteroiiH 

 larvse. All were duly determined and preserved, and a list furnished Colone. 

 McDonald. 



17139. Mexican insects, a large collection of Coleoptera, Heiniptera, and Lopidoptera, 

 from J. Farrari Perez, naturalist of the Mexican Geographical and Explor- 

 ing Commission. This is an important accession, containing more than a 

 thousand specimens of the three orders, all mounted and many of them 

 named. In conjunction with the insects sent by Professor Duges there is 

 quite a fair collection of Mexican Coleoptera. 



17221. U- S. Diurnal Lepidoptera, comprising many of the rarer species needed in 

 the collection, and a collection of European Coleoptera, from J. B. Smith, 

 the assistant curator. The European Coleoptera were brought in for the 

 exhibition collection, and are sufficient in number to give a fair idea of the 

 European fauna. 



17245. Lepidoptera (3 boxes), mostly micros., and mostly from Texas, from A. Bolter, 

 172 Van Buren street, Chicago, 111. ; received March 19, 188G. One box 

 contained larger, named species, some of them rather rare, while the two 

 others contained micros., unspread and undetermined. 



17556. Belostoma amcricanum, from W. S. Primrose, Raleigh, N. C. ; received April 3, 

 1886. During the latter part of March Belostoma amerlcanum appeared in 

 unusually large numbers, and flying in- great quantities to the electric 

 lights, were observed by many different persons and in many instances sent 

 to the department. 



but no details are given. It is the first appearance of this species as an in- 

 jurious insect. 

 17628. Lucanus elaplius (1), from Mrs. Richard Carter, Cloverport, Ky. ; received June 

 12, 1886. This specimen, it was alleged, was taken from the foot-board of a 

 bee-hive, where it had posted itself before the opening and was capturing 

 the bees as they came out! This habit is so at variance with the known 

 habits of this species that confirmation is needed of the facts stated by our 

 correspondent. 



There were altogether 103 accessions during the year, which came to 

 the department in the ordinary course, a large proportion useless for 

 any purpose. In addition to these numbered accessions, many speci- 

 mens have been added through the curator and the assistant, and sev- 

 eral important collections have been added through the Department of 

 Agriculture. First among these latter is the collection of Lepidoptera, 

 purchased from Mr. O. Meske, of Albany, N. Y. This collection .con- 

 tains many types and typical specimens of American insects, and some 

 years ago ranked as one of the finest in the United States. 



There are fully 700 species and over 2,000 specimens contained in 

 forty-five glass-covered drawers and boxes, and as a whole in very good 

 condition. It contains a fair collection of European species also, ob- 

 tained in exchange from some of the leading lepidopterists of Germany. 

 There was also purchased by the department for the Museum the col- 

 lection of the late H. K. Morrison, of Morganton, N. C, containing a 

 few Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera, and a very large lot of Cole- 



