DEPARTMENT OF INSECTS. 189 



optera — many hundreds of species and many thousands of specimens, 

 contained in fifty-six large double boxes and forty-five cigar boxes. 

 This collection contains a considerable number of species not in the 

 other Museum collection, and an abundance of duplicate material valu- 

 able for exchange. 



Mr. A. Koebele, collecting for the department in California, has sent 

 in thousands of insects of all orders very carefully mounted and con- 

 taining a large number of new species. 



The correspondence has been, for the most part, confined to the neces- 

 sities of the routine work, but has necessarily increased with the new 

 impetus given to the department. 



A number of insects have been received for determination and study, 

 and the following list of determinations furnished, whether through the 

 ordinary routine or by direct sendings to the curator or the assistant, 

 will show the work in this direction : 



September 29, 1885. Insects of all orders (several thousand speci- 

 mens, about 300 species), mounted and determined for Dr. E. W. Shu- 

 feldt, Fort Wingate, N. Mex. 



October 23, 1885. Lepidoptera (30 species), for Mr. H. L. Clark, Prov- 

 idence, R. I. 



November J 6, 1885. Noctuidse (8 species), for Mr. Hy. Edwards, 

 New York City. 



December 18, 1885, Coleoptera (G3 species), for W. H. Harrison, 

 post-office department, Ottawa, Ontario. 



December 10, 1885. Lepidoptera (42 species), for W. N. Tallant, 73 

 Jefferson avenue, Columbus, Ohio. 



During the months of December and January the naturalists of the 

 Mexican Exploring Commission had their collection of insects in the 

 rooms of the department, and all facilities for the determination and 

 classification of their material that the collections offered were afforded 

 them in return for their generous gift to tbe Museum. A synonymical 

 list of ninety species of Lepidoptera with bibliographical references was 

 prepared by Mr. Smith and handed Sen or Aguillero for incorporation 

 in his report on the collections. 



January 30, 188G. Coleoptera (51 species), for Mr. W. W. Hill, Al- 

 bany, N. Y. 



February 3, 1886. Lepidoptera (29 species), for Mr. Howard L. Clark, 

 Providence, R. I. 



February 12, 188G. Diptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera (insects, 

 167 species), for F. W. Klages, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



March 8, 1886. Lepidoptera (27 species), for Dr. C. S. McKuight, 

 Saranac Lake, N. Y. 



March 16, 1886. Insects (38 species and many specimens of all or 

 ders), for Col. M. McDonald, U. S. Fish Commission. 



April 29, 1886. Small series of PyralidaB, compared with Museum 

 material for Dr. George D. Hulst, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



