1871.] SENATE— No. 327. 21 



Lacordaire, now the standard work on this family. Indeed the 

 collection contains many determinations in his handwriting. 

 The Apionidae are determined by the newest monographist, Mr. 

 "Wencker ; other families by Mr. Jekel ; the Hyperidcs, by Mr. 

 Capiomont ; the Pachyrhynches, by Mr. Westwood ; the Otior- 

 hynches, by Mr. Seidlitz ; the Centorhynches, by Mr. Brisout ; 

 the Polydrones, Chlorophanes and Phyllobius (not yet arrived), 

 by Mr. Desbroches de Loges ; the Epindes and Microcerites (not 

 yet arrived), by Mr. Jekel ; the Cleonides, by Mr. Chevrolat ; 

 the Cratopus, by Mr. A. Deyrolle. So far as I know, only the 

 collection of Mr. Bowerbank, containing also those of Mr. Jekel, 

 and now deposited in the British Museum, is richer in species 

 than this one of M. Deyrolle. It is further increased by a 

 number of species, chiefly American, already belonging to the 

 Museum, so that for this family the collection of the Museum 

 can now rival any in the world. The arrangement in our 

 boxes was at once commenced, and nearly one-half of the col- 

 lection is now arranged. 



Besides other work, the curator has begun to arrange and 

 put up safely in new boxes, the Pseudo-neuroptera and Neu- 

 roptera of the collection of the late Mr. Th. Harris, belong- 

 ing to the Museum of the Natural History Society in Boston, 

 and kindly placed in the hands of the curator for this purpose. 

 The collection is a most important one, containing many types 

 of Th. Say and of Mr. Harris himself, and was already in the 

 way to be annihilated by destructive insects. 



This work and the study of a considerable lot of insects of the 

 same order of the United States, placed in the hands of the cura- 

 tor, will enable him to give important additions and corrections 

 to his published synopsis of the North American species, — per- 

 haps lead to the preparation of a new edition of this work. 



Mr. L. Cabot has begun the study and illustration of the 

 interesting collection of the larvae of Gomphidae belonging to 

 the Museum. Nearly all of them are new to science, and any 

 contribution to our knowledge of other larvae of this family 

 would be an important progress. 



The collection of insects of all orders presented by Harvard 

 College has been arranged in separate boxes by Mr. Hubbard 

 and Fr. Howe. It is intended to form the first basis of a stu 

 dent's collection, and will chiefly contain insects to be given 

 into the hands of students beginning to study entomology. 



