REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF INSECTS. 119 



the Museum, and hereafter more particularly mentioned, and of a few 

 contributions by myself. 



Based largely upon Museum material, and almost entirely upon ma- 

 terial which will, I hope, ultimately become the property of the Museum, 

 is the " Synopsis of the North American Syrphidce," by Dr. S. W. Willis- 

 ton, published as Bulletin No. 31 of the U. S. National Museum. 



This is the most valuable contribution to systematic dipterology in 

 North America that has appeared in recent years. 



NOTES. 



In considering the more important accessions during the year, I have 

 drawn attention to a few of those which have come through the ordinary 

 channels with their accession numbers ; but by far the greater num- 

 ber of important accessions to the collection have come (1) through 

 the curator in the shape of material constantly received by him or col- 

 lected during his travels, and which on account of their numbers and 

 frequency are added to the general collection without accession num- 

 bers ; (2) those received through the Department of Agriculture from 

 the correspondents and agents of its entomological division. By far 

 the most important of these last is the material that has been collected 

 by Mr. Albert Koebele in California, which comprises many thousand 

 specimens in all orders, much of which is exceedingly valuable material. 

 Again, Mr. E. A. Schwarz, of said entomological division, very kindly 

 donated some 300 specimens of the 108 species of Coleoptera which 

 were required to complete the synoptic collection in that order which 

 were either not represented in the collection or were represented in in- 

 sufficient numbers. 



Of the accessions by purchase, only one has been made during the 

 year, but that is an important and valuable one, viz, the private collec- 

 tion of the assistant curator, Mr. J. B. Smith. 



Of the numbered accessions direct to the Museum, the following may 

 be mentioned as of special interest : 



July, 1886. — Several specimens of Epicauta maculata from Capt. Henry Roineyn, Fifth 

 U. S. Infantry, Fort Keogh, Montana. (17743.) These insects were said to have ap- 

 peared suddenly in great numbers, and proved very destructive to vegetables, creating 

 some alarm. Later Captain Romeyn wrote that Pyretlirum proved a complete remedy. 



Specimen of the work of Scolytus unispinosus in Abies douglassi from L. E. Ricksecker, 

 Sylvania, California, through J. B. Smith. (17767.) This specimen was interesting 

 as presenting the first known instance of a true Scolytus boring in conifers. 



August, 1886. — Twenty one specimens of fourteen species of Lepidoptera from Mis- 

 souri, from Miss M. E. Murtfeldt, Kirkwood, Missouri. The species were undetermined, 

 and many of them proved interesting. (17848.) 



September, 1886. — Six packages of Lepidoptera and two vials of miscellaneous insects, 

 from C. J. Herring, colony of Surinam, Dutch Guiana. (17929.) 



The Lepidoptera were mostly fragmentary and so badly infested with Anthreni that 

 they could not be saved and were destroyed. It was with great regret that this was 

 done, for several of the species would have been desirable. The vials contained a few 

 larvse and some Orthoptera of much less value. 



