Report of the President 55 



The most important research work of the year on insects 

 is that by Mr. C. W. Leng, on the genus Brachyacantha. Mr. 

 J. A. Grossbeck has continued his studies of the Geometridse, 

 although most of his time has been devoted to the care of the 

 general collections. Dr. Lutz has made some advance in his 

 work on the factors of evolution, but during his absence in 

 the field the strain most used in breeding work unfortunately 

 died, so that some time will be lost in developing it anew. 

 Mr. Beutenmuller has made progress in his work on the 

 monograph of the genus Catocala, and he has also continued 

 his field studies in the Black Mountain region of North Caro- 

 lina. The New York Entomological Society has continued its 

 study of insects within fifty miles of New York with marked 

 success, and although this shows immediate results in the 

 amplification of the local collections, it is mentioned in con- 

 nection with research to emphasize the fact that the work 

 constitutes a larger and more general biological study, and is 

 not merely the collection and labeling of specimens. 



Molluscs. — Donations to this division during the year 

 include more than 300 specimens from various parts of the 

 world, given by Mr. A. D. Gabay, more than 900 shells from 

 Miss Elvine Richard, and a series of West Indian specimens 

 representing thirty-five marine genera given by Mr. George 

 Silly. Valuable material has been acquired through exchanges 

 with Coe College and Mr. Maxwell Smith. During his work 

 in the Northwest, Mr. Barnum Brown secured a large collec- 

 tion, particularly of land shells, while a small lot of beach forms 

 has been received from the Stefansson-Anderson expedition in 

 the Arctic. The expedition to Lower California conducted by 

 Dr. Charles H. Townsend also obtained a considerable num- 

 ber of valuable marine shells. 



During the first part of the year the removal of the exhi- 

 bition collections from the 5th story to the 3d was completed. 



The shell collection contains all together about 100,000 

 specimens, representatives of nearly 15,000 species. These 

 show extraordinary range of color and ornamentation. The 

 arrangement of the collection is still incomplete, but the 

 installation will be as follows: first, in the south wall cases 



