Jan., 1919. Annual Report of the Director. 



voted during the first five months of the year was the completing of an 

 exhibit of scorpions and centipedes and the making of a sample habitat 

 group of insects. Some time also was spent on a group that will represent, 

 the well-known and injurious tomato worm in its usual surroundings. 

 The scorpion and centipede exhibit consists of a series of special tablet 

 mounts, of which 29 contain different species of scorpions; 2 show harm- 

 less but much feared whip-tailed scorpions, 3 the agile solpugids, the 

 nature of which has been the subject of much controversy, 11 illustrate 

 some of the giant spiders including the tarantulas and trap-door spiders, 

 and 14 tablets contain examples of the larger and hence more poisonous 

 centipedes. This series of specimens with their labels occupies seven of 

 the twelve panels in one of the new A-cases. As an experiment as to 

 what might be done in the way of making groups of insects with accessor- 

 ies to represent natural surroimdings, there was prepared a sample case 

 containing the most conspicuous and characteristic insects found in the 

 sand dune region. The group was regarded as a step in the right direc- 

 tion and a case was ordered capable of accommodating two groups and 

 a space for illustrated labels. In addition to the above mentioned groups, 

 the silkworm exhibit was also completed by supplementing photographs 

 illustrating the industry in Japan and by the installation of suitable 

 descriptive labels. The Bames-Poling collection of moths was taken 

 from the unsafe boxes in which it was received several years ago and 

 transferred to insect-proof drawers. As a result of this work these insects 

 are now arranged systematically in safe, glass-topped drawers and the 

 storage or shipping boxes have been returned to the donors of the col- 

 lection. Considerable preliminary work was essential before the insects 

 in the laboratory could be actually packed for moving. This was espec- 

 ially true of the large nimiber of specimens that were simply lying loose 

 in shallow trays. As they could not be safely moved in this condition, 

 they were relaxed and then placed between layers of cotton in small 

 boxes. Every specimen in the Strecker collection were next examined in 

 order to ascertain whether its pin was held securely, and, as a precau- 

 tionary measure, all of the large butterflies and moths were secured by 

 pins so as to prevent them from ttiming. The other pinned material 

 was treated in a similar manner, but for the insects packed in papers and 

 in small boxes different protective measiu-es were adopted. A limited 

 number of the loose specimens were pinned and labeled, because they 

 could be more safely shipped in that condition. In order that the cases 

 containing insects could be put in proper place in the new building, it 

 was quite evident that they should be numbered before any attempt 

 was made to pack the exhibits. This work was promptly given attention 

 and all of the cases are now numbered so as to correspond with the 



