Report of the President 61 



Watson has been engaged in editing the list of Floridian 

 Lepidoptera which was left by Mr. Grossbeck, and has carried 

 on extensive studies of his own, particularly in connection 

 with Antillean Lepidoptera. The monograph of Catocala, 

 left by Mr. Beutenmiiller, has been edited by Dr. William 

 Barnes of Decatur, Illinois, and is now awaiting publication. 

 Professor Crampton has completed the first volume of his 

 studies on the Polynesian genus Partulaj this is an extensive 

 quarto dealing with the species of Tahiti and is now in press. 

 While the material is from a distant region, the problems are 

 the fundamental ones of evolution and distribution, as in the 

 case of the American material described above. Mr. Miner 

 has continued his work on the synonymic catalogue of the 

 Myriapoda and Mr. Fisk has undertaken certain valuable 

 studies on echinoderms. 



In Curator Gratacap's division^ the work during the past 

 year has included the replacement of more than 7,500 labels 



_, „ - ,. . in the exhibition hall and the organization of 



Shell Collections , , , s 



the gifts, purchases and exchanges accumu- 

 lated during recent years. These have been separated, dis- 

 tributed and classified, so as to constitute the basis for a study 

 collection. Such series as are not on exhibition are at present 

 placed in the drawers under the table cases, where, however, 

 there is insufficient room to accommodate new material. There 

 is urgent need for a room for Systematic Conchology, so that 

 adequate provision may be made for students and collectors, 

 thus to favor and encourage research by offering laboratory 

 facilities. During the year the Curator installed at the north 

 end of the hall an illuminative map, showing the principal 

 Molluscan Provinces, with an accompanying exhibit of the 

 characteristic genera of each province. Some aboriginal uses 

 of shells in basket work are also illustrated in the north-end 

 cases; a few more transparencies, conspicuously decorative as 

 well as instructive, have been placed in position in the west 

 windows, and a frieze design of shell and seaweed motifs, exe- 

 cuted by Mr. Operti, has been painted on the walls. Renewal 

 of labels in the soft green tones selected by the Director has 

 been effected in the Synoptical Series, and the impression of 

 finish, as well as of usefulness, has been progressively strength- 



