68 Report of the President 



been used to a largely increased degree: 11,442 pupils of 273 

 classes from 122 schools, colleges and other institutions have 

 visited this hall during the past year. It remains to be added 

 that there is urgent need for more room to accommodate the 

 voluminous study collections, for which the present facilities 

 are entirely inadequate. 



The exhibition hall has received notable additions in the 

 way of smaller bionomic exhibits and specimens which illus- 

 trate biological principles; the activities in this 



Insects and S ph ere as directed by Dr. Lutz, have resulted in an 

 Spiders r J 



unusual degree of effectiveness in the organization 



of the Hall of Insect Life. Carrying on the plans of this 

 division, the Porto Rican collections have received considerable 

 attention and will continue to do so. Field work on the life- 

 histories of local insects is essential both for its scientific results 

 and for the procuring of material to be installed in the Hall 

 of Insect Life. Probably Cuba will be taken as a field of inves- 

 tigation in the near future, on account of its relation to the 

 other areas of the West Indies and the neighboring continents 

 with which the comprehensive studies of the department are 

 concerned. The division of insects is sadly in need of more 

 space for its greatly amplified and reorganized collections; 

 germane in this connection is the need for a larger permanent 

 staff of specialists to work up the groups that necessarily have 

 received little attention aside from their routine care. During 

 the year, however, much progress has been made through the 

 work of temporary assistants, notably Mr. C. W. Leng, mem- 

 bers of the New York Entomological Society, Messrs. W. J. 

 Holland, J. A. G. Rehn and Morgan Hebbard, as well as Dr. 

 J. Bequaert and Messrs. J. S. Hine, H. G. Barber and H. S. 

 Barber. 



Certain notable accessions have been mentioned in the fore- 

 going paragraphs, such as the series of insects secured through 

 the assistance of Messrs. Clark and Hall, and of 

 the members of the New York Entomological 

 Society, as well as the collections of Mr. Miner and the shells 

 specified by Curator Gratacap. Additional items of special 



