Report of the President. 2 3 



and Porto Rico, and very kindly invited Dr. Wheeler to ac- 

 company him for the purpose of studying the terrestrial inver- 

 tebrate fauna of the islands. Although only four weeks were 

 devoted to the work, Dr. Wheeler secured an extensive collec- 

 tion of the ants of Culebra and Porto Rico, regions from 

 which no ants have been described heretofore. The collection 

 contains some 5,000 specimens, representing about 60 species, 

 subspecies and varieties. 



Dr. Alexander G. Ruthven, accompanied by Mr. Gneomar 

 von Krockow, proceeded to southern New Mexico and Arizona 

 to study the reptiles of these regions. Valuable field notes 

 and about 1,000 specimens were secured, besides a small col- 

 lection of invertebrates, consisting principally of ants, mol- 

 lusks and parasitic worms. The results of this expedition are 

 now being worked up in several papers, the mollusks by Mr. 

 Bryant Walker, the vertebrates by Dr. Ruthven. 



Upon invitation of Professor T. D. A. Cockerell of the 

 University of Colorado, who had organized an expedition for 

 this purpose, Dr. Wheeler spent June and July in Florissant, 

 Colo., exploring the Miocene fossil beds of the region. The 

 summer's work was successful beyond expectation. Up- 

 wards of 2,000 specimens of fossil plants and insects were 

 secured. With few exceptions the Florissant insects hitherto 

 described, although all belonging to extinct species, are never- 

 theless very similar to those found in subtropical America at the 

 present time. This is an extremely interesting and significant 

 fact, since it emphasizes the enormous age and singular mor- 

 phological stability and persistence of the insect type. 



Department of Books and Publications. — It is a recog- 

 nized fact that a thoroughly equipped library is a necessary 

 adjunct to an institution devoted to scientific research. With 

 this need in view the Curator has endeavored to secure not 

 only recent publications required in a science library, but 

 earlier works which would complete the broken series we 

 already possess. While progress has been made in filling 

 unfortunate gaps, much remains to be done, and additional 

 funds are urgently needed for this purpose. 



