INSECTS 93 



of all the principal l'a!iiili(\s, exotic as well as native. A special exhibit of 

 the conunon Bntt(Mllies near New York City and another of the "Moths 

 of the Liniherlost" has been installed. There is also one showing butter- 

 flies found in Xortli Teuiperate America. There are nearly half a million 

 species of insects in the world so that, even when finished, this series can 

 contain only a small part of the total. Furthermore many of the species 

 would fade rapidly if exposed to the light. The general study collection of 

 insects is on the fifth floor and while it is not on exhibition, the curators 

 are glad to show it to visitors who can make use of it. See the Southeast 

 Pavilion for the studv collection of local insects. 



SOUTHEAST PAVILION 



Hall of Insect Life 



Still going east, we enter the Insect Hall. The installations in this 

 hall point out the relationships, through origin and mode of life, of insects 

 to each other and to the other members of the Animal Kingdom, espe- 

 cially to man. The exhibits are arranged in a continuous 

 series and are numbered so that we can easily follow the 

 plan beginning at the pillar farthest to the left. 



First is an introductory section illustrating by diagrams the impor- 

 tance of insects as shown (a) by the large number of species 

 ^ compared wdth other animals [there are more species of 



insects than of all other animals put together] and (b) by 

 their great influence on human interests. In the United States, the eco- 

 nomic loss by insects is more than five times as great as by fire and there are 

 more than twelve times as many deaths from insect-borne diseases as from 

 railroad accidents. On the other hand, many of our crops and all beautiful 

 flowers are largely dependent upon pollination by insects. 



Following this are a number of sections showing the relationships of 



insects to other animals, explaining the terms used in the 

 Classification of , -o .• j. • , i i,-uv x • i i £ 



J classmcation or msects and exhibitmg typical examples or 



the principal families. 



There is then given a summary of the principles underlying evolution 



as illustrated by insects. This series concludes with a dis- 



yo u ion as Hussion of the Mendelian Law of Inheritance which has 

 Illustrated by 

 Insects been so greatly elaborated by experiments on the common 



fruit fly, Drosojjhila ampelophila. 



Insect life in its various phases follow^s, leading up to the economic 



relations between insects and man. The latter topic is 



-jyj introduced by a consideration of insects' enemies, including 



man, and then certain insects are shown as enemies of man. 



