O 6 Provincial Museum Report. 1918 



cial Museum his fine collection of the Vancouver Island flora, numbering approximately 000 

 specimens, all named and classified. The Director undertook to transfer these specimens 

 personally from Sidney to Victoria, so that they would be handled with the greatest care. 

 These specimens have now been deposited in the Herbarium under the supervision of Mr. 

 W. R. Carter, and are now available for reference to those who are interested in the study 

 of botany. 



It will be seen in the report on botany that special work has been carried out in this 

 particular branch during the past year, with the assistance of several volunteer collectors, who 

 have helped materially to make the Herbarium the most representative collection in the Province. 



The exhibition cases of British Columbia butterflies on the second floor of the Museum have 

 been entirely rearranged by Mr. E. H. Blackmore, of this city, in accordance with the new 

 Check-list of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America, issued by Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough, 

 of Decatur, 111., in February, 1017. This list is recognized as the standard authority by the 

 Victoria Memorial Museum at Ottawa, and also by the majority of the principal museums in 

 the United States. 



The nomenclature has undergone radical changes and the sequence of genera is entirely 

 different to that of Dr. Dyar's catalogue of North America Lepidoptera, published in 1002. 

 which has hitherto been followed. The style of labelling has been altered, the names being 

 typewritten in two colours, the generic and specific names in purple and the author's name in 

 red, thus ensuring greater legibility than was formerly the case in the old hand-written labels. 

 The labels are also placed on the supporting pin at the same height as the insect, thereby 

 rendering them more easily readable to the general public. It is hoped to be able to continue 

 this work on the Museum collection of moths during the coming year. 



It is very gratifying to note that a number of teachers, both in public and private schools, 

 are bringing their classes to the Museum in connection with their nature-studies, which I am 

 sure has been greatly appreciated by the scholars, and without doubt has been a great benefit 

 to them individually, judging from the manner in which they have gone around the exhibition 

 halls taking notes. The Director or one of the staff is always on hand to give the young folk 

 all the information possible. 



The number of visitors that have signed the register in the entrance hall during the year 

 1017 was 35,672; this does not give the number of visitors by any means, as the school-children 

 are not asked to register their names, neither are a large number of Orientals and others. 



The Director has had a number of requests from other museums, societies, and persons 

 who are interested in the several branches of natural sciences for the loan of specimens for 

 comparison, which has always been willingly granted whenever possible. 



By permission of the Honourable Provincial Secretary, the annual meeting of the British 

 Columbia Entomological Society was held in the Botanical Room in the Provincial Museum, 

 when a number of very interesting papers were read by members on systematic and economic 

 entomology. 



The Honourable Minister of this Department also gave the Director permission to have 

 the meetings of the Natural History Society held in the Museum on evenings when subjects 

 are being discussed on natural-history specimens that are represented in the collections; this 

 arrangement is most satisfactory, as it saves loaning specimens, and I think is of more interest 

 to members and has been greatly appreciated by the society. 



The Director wishes to extend grateful thanks to the following persons that have assisted 

 with the identifications in their respective branches of biology : — 



Identification of Botanical Specimens. — Professor J. Macoun, Sidney, B.C. ; J. M. Macoun, 

 C.M.G., Chief of Biological Department, Ottawa ; C. F. Newcombe, M.D., Victoria ; and Pro- 

 fessor J. K. Henry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. 



Identifications in- Entomology. — Doctors Barnes and McDunnough, Decatur, 111. ; Professor 

 E. M. Walker, University of Toronto, Ont. ; L. W. Swett, Lexington, Mass. ; R. S. Sherman, 

 Vancouver, B.C. ; and E. H. Blackmore, Victoria, B.C. 



Thanks are also extended to a number of persons who have donated specimens. 



Botanical specimens have been received from the following : Professor J. Macoun, Sidney ; 

 YV B. Anderson, Victoria ; Dr. C. F. Newcombe, Victoria ; . W. R. Carter, Alberni ; W. A. 

 Newcombe, Victoria ; J. R. Anderson, Victoria ; and Professor J. K. Henry, Vancouver. 



