DEPARTMENT OF INSECTS. 191 



silk culture in Japan, received from Mr. Hitchcock, was also placed on 

 exhibition. 



The exhibit collection was opened to the public in April last. 



On account of his familiarity with the Macro-Lepidoptera I have had 

 the assistant devote most of his time, not otherwise occupied, to the 

 arrangement of these insects in the permanent drawers, the progress 

 being indicated in the statement of condition. As Entomologist of the 

 Department of Agriculture, 1 was also able, in connection with the work 

 of that Department, and without expense to the Museum, to secure the 

 services of Dr. S. W. Williston, of New Haven, during January and 

 February, in arranging a large part of the Diptera and more partic- 

 ularly the Syrphidae. 



In like manner the services of Prof. H. Osborn, of Ames, Iowa, were 

 obtained, and he rearranged and classified the collection of Heiniptera 

 Heteroptera according to Uhler's new list issued during the year.* 



A large number of exotic Lepidoptera of the Museum were unnamed, 

 and the assistant was directed to make two trips to Kew^ York City, 

 and there succeeded in identifying most of the species. 



It is noteworthy, as illustrating the rich accumulations now compris- 

 ing this national collection, that each of these specialists found much 

 of interest and very many new or uudescribed species and even new 

 genera. Added to the work here indicated must be mentioned my in- 

 dividual efforts in the rearranging and perfecting of different families 

 in several orders, but more particularly in the Micro-Lepidoptera. My 

 health having broken down last spring, I was forced to seek its resto- 

 ration in rest from work, and in a trip made to Europe I took with me 

 much undetermined material, especially in Tortricidse, Tineidse, and 

 Pyralidae. Here again the amount of undescribed material proved very 

 large, and much of it will be described before long by Kagonot, of Paris, 

 and Lord Walsingham, of England, to whom, for much courteous aid 

 already given, I take this opportunity of publicly expressing my 

 thanks. 



It is a matter of some difficulty to make anything like an accurate 

 statement of the number of specimens or species in the collection — the 

 former runs up into the hundreds of thousands, the latter well into the 

 tens of thousands. So far as the data are accurately obtainable the 

 collection consists of the following : 



EXHIBIT COLLECTION. 



Number of cases on exhibition 9 



Wall- screen cases 4 



Wall-screen frames for pictures 2 



Total 15 



* Check List of the Hemiptera Heteroptera of North America, by Philip R. Uhler, 

 Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Brooklyn, N. Y., February, 1886. 



