66 Report of the President 



Bombidae," a "Descriptive Catalogue of West Indian Cicin- 

 delinae" by Messrs. Leng and Mutchler, the "Lepidoptera of 

 Florida" by John A. Grossbeck, edited by Mr. F. E. Watson, 

 and a paper now in press entitled "Supplement to the Prelimi- 

 nary List of the Coleoptera of the West Indies" by Messrs. 

 Leng and Mutchler. The department contemplates the early 

 publication also of "The Catocaline Moths of North America" 

 by William Beutenmueller, with additions and revisions by 

 William Barnes and J. McDunnough. Mr. Miner's work on 

 Myriapoda has been carried forward, and a paper will be ready 

 for publication within the year 19 17. All members of the staff 

 have been engaged to a greater or less degree in investigations 

 of the extensive Porto Rican collection of invertebrates. 



During the past year the time of Curator Gratacap has been 

 taken up largely with work connected with the Museum's con- 



chological interests, including the identification of 

 ^J 1 . specimens from various collections— embracing 



much excellent material— in the Department of 

 Invertebrate Zoology. In the Hall of Shells a great advance 

 has been made in reprinting the old labels, through the efforts 

 of Mr. Joseph Quinn ; additions of some importance have been 

 secured for the Synoptical Series, consisting of fossil Palaeo- 

 zoic and Mesozoic Cephalopoda, illustrating the earlier forms 

 whose single descendant to-day is the Nautilus. Of note- 

 worthy importance also are numerous species, purchased from 

 Sowerby and Fulton of London, to fill out the defective series 

 in the groups of characteristic Mollusca from the Molluscan 

 Provinces. A few features connected with the Ornamental 

 Uses of Shells were incorporated in that exhibit, and an ex- 

 tension made in the Da Gomez Collection of Deformed and 

 Abnormal Shells, among which the suite of aberrant Cyprcea 

 lynx deserves special mention; this was obtained from the 

 collection of the late Mr. John Ford. With the assistance of 

 the Director, and employing the artistic facility of Mr. Albert 

 Operti, a series of colored photographs and explanatory labels 

 will be installed, illustrating stages in the manufacture of the 

 pearl button from the river-mussel to the finished product. 

 A few transparencies have been added, and the subjects for 



