1870.] 



SENATE— No. 170. 



19 



separately. It consists for the greater part of very fine and fresh 

 specimens, in a superior condition, including between one-third 

 and one-fourth of the described species of the Macro-Lepidoptera 

 and one thirty-third of the Micro-Lepidoptera, — a small propor- 

 tion, but in good preservation. Besides the specimens set aside 

 for this purpose, the Museum possesses specimens enough to 

 provide the general collection also with nearly all the species. 

 Some are in very fine condition for public exhibition, which is 

 indeed already begun, some boxes being actually arranged in 

 the exhibition room. A. more exact statement of the number 

 of the European Lepidoptera possessed by the Museum, would 

 be as follows: — ^For the Diurna, Crepuscularia, Bombyces, one- 

 third ; for the Noctuina and Geometrina, one-quarter ; for the 

 Tiniena, one-fiftieth ; for Crambina and Pyralina, one-fifteenth ; 

 for Tortricina, one-forty-second of the known species. The 

 identification of this portion of the collection is finished, and 

 for the most part does not admit of doubt. The collection of 

 North American Lepidoptera north of Mexico, like the European, 

 has been provisionally separated from the whole, and is chiefly 

 intended for the use of American students, and for purposes of 

 exchange with foreign entomologists. This collection was 

 arranged by Mr. E. Burgess, who began the work last December. 

 His first care was to collect all the specimens together and place 

 them by families in the new boxes. The collection thus 

 arranged, filled about ninety boxes. He then began the syste- 

 matic arrangement of the Rhopalocera, upon which he is still 

 engaged. The Diurna and Crepuscularia are finished. This 

 part of the collection, so far as arranged, contains only one-half 

 of the described species. Good specimens of almost all the 

 North American Lepidoptera, well set, with the locality carefully 

 designated, are much needed. The Micros, in particular, are 

 very poorly represented. 



The general collection of the Lepidoptera is so far finished as 

 to be placed in the new boxes, filling fourteen cabinets. The 

 Diurna are farther revised, and the genera and species separated, 

 some of them occasionally determined. All the rest are divided 

 only according to families. For some families of the Diurna 

 the proportionate number, in the possession of the Museum, 

 was approximately ascertained. The Museum possesses of 



