28 



COMPARATIVE ZO-OLOGY. [June, 



arrangement of the Prionidse of the collection. Mr. Corn- 

 stock, of Ithaca, N. Y., spent his vacation time in studying 

 the collection, and Mr. Garman, of Chicago, and Mr. Minot, 

 of Cambridge, are now occupied some days of the week in a 

 similar study. So far as possible the curator has tried to 

 give to these gentlemen private instruction concerning general 

 entomology. 



In the arrangement of other parts of the collection progress 

 has been limited to the work already referred to. However, 

 the whole Pseudoneuroptera and nearly all the Neuro]3tera 

 are in perfect order. Both of these collections are only 

 rivalled by two similar collections in Europe. 



The scientific correspondence to be done by the curator 

 was, as usual, very extensive. 



The collection of the Crustacea was the whole year stored 

 in the upper galleries of the older part of the building, as the 

 new rooms are not yet fitted. Shortly before the disaster in 

 Chicago, the late Prof. W. Simpson did go through the col- 

 lection and divided them in two parts. One, nearly one-third 

 of the collection, was to be sent to him to Chicago for scien- 

 tific publication just the day when the horrid news of the 

 disaster reached the Museum. The collection is now far 

 more important than it ever was before, as it contains a part 

 of the published types of W. Stimpson, the remainder of 

 which was destroyed in Chicago. A valuable lot of them is 

 still in the hands of Mr. Alph. Milne-Edwards, in Paris. 



The additions to the collection of the Crustacea are very 

 numerous and valuable for the fauna of Mauritius by Mr. N. 

 Pike, and for the East Indies by Rev. M. M. Carleton. The 

 additions to the Astacides of the United States would allow 

 an important supplement to the curator's monograph of new 

 species or better and more numerous specimens of some 

 described species. 



Report of Professor N. S. Shaler, Assistant in charge of 



Instruction. 



During the academic year 1871-2, one hundred and three 

 persons have attended the instruction given in the Museum. 



