114 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



far as geological material is concerned, during his visit to Vesuvius, 

 Lipari, Stromboli, Etnn, and other interesting localities. 



Mr. B. M. Aaron, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Ameri- 

 iean Entomological Society, has, through Prof. 0. V. Riley, announced 

 his intention to visit Jamaica, and perhaps Vera Cruz, for the purpose 

 of making collections of insects. In a letter to Professor Riley in ref- 

 erence to his plans, he expresses the general hope that he may be able 

 to present to the National Museum a part of his collections. It was 

 not possible to offer Mr. Aaron a commission to collect for the Museum. 

 He has, however, been informed that biologic material in any orders 

 where the life history of each species is represented, will be acceptable, 

 as well as any good specimens of species of the families Coccidce, Psyl- 

 lidce, and A leurodidce, and of all families of parasitic Hymenoptera. 



Mr. C. R. Orcutt, of San Diego, California, who since 1880 has 

 presented to the National Museum about thirty collections, including 

 specimens of reptiles, mammals, insects, mollusks, birds, fossils, and 

 ethnological objects, has been furnished with copper-tanks, jars, and 

 alcohol to be used in preserving specimens which he may collect during 

 his expedition to the Colorado desert and the Gulf of California, for 

 which regions he started on January 1, 1890, with the expectation of 

 spending four months in collecting specimens. 



Mr. A. J. Miller, of Evansville, Indiana, who in a letter dated July 

 8, 1889 states that he has discovered a buried city in Honduras, has 

 invited the Smithsonian Institution to join with him in carrying on the 

 work of exploration and excavation. It was not possible to furnish 

 the desired sum of money. Mr. Miller was informed, however, that 

 the National Museum would be glad to purchase from the antiquities 

 obtained from the rnins such objects as might be deemed desirable for 

 addition to the collections. 



Mr. Henry W. Elliott, for many years connected with the Alaska 

 Commercial Company, has offered to collect specimens of fur-seal, fishes, 

 and marine invertebrates during his visit this summer to the Seal- 

 Islands of Alaska upon business connected with the United States Gov- 

 ernment. His offer has been accepted. Mr. Elliott left for Alaska on 

 April 24. Through the courtesy of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 arrangements have been made for shipping a supply of alcohol to the 

 Seal Islands for Mr. Elliott's use in preserving specimens. Mr. William 

 Palmer, of the National Museum, has been detailed to accompany Mr. 

 Elliott. In the next report will be published a list of specimens ob- 

 tained by Messrs. Elliott and Palmer. 



collector's outfits. 



With a view to facilitating the work of those who have expressed 

 their willingness to collect specimens for the Museum, as well as those 

 who have been sent out as collectors by the Museum, outfits of appara- 



