1934 ] 
Insect Collections of a Public Museum 
103 
readily replaceable material. Those of pests should contain 
numerous specimens in order to convey subconsciously the 
idea of abundance. 
Fourth,— The geographical or zonal distribution of the 
insects of a large area can perhaps be fully as well shown 
by charts (preferably in conjunction with specimens) as by 
insects alone, and the topic is generally one of interest even 
to the transient visitor. 
There are also to be considered the needs of the genuine 
scientific student resident in the vicinity, and of the school- 
teacher trying to awaken an interest in the natural world 
in the minds of her pupils through this medium. Give them 
all the aid possible ! “Cast your bread upon the waters and 
after many days it shall return unto you.” Very likely you 
can give them specimens also. 
Mr. Charles W. Johnson, formerly in charge of insects and 
mollusca at the Boston Society of Natural History, after a 
long and valuable experience wrote an article on this subject 
which should be read by everyone interested (see Museum 
Work, vol. 1, no. 5, Feb. 1919). 
In closing, I wish to give a word of warning (and this ad- 
vice will apply as well to other things as to insects) Ac- 
cept no collections for an unlimited period of time or that 
must be kept separate from others! One is liable to find 
oneself handicapped ultimately by such a procedure, even 
if it seems wise at first. Twenty years ago we accepted 
at the Peabody Museum for temporary storage a very 
good collection of butterflies and moths in tablets. This is 
still useful as an exhibit: but it was accompanied by a 
space-consuming col-lection of mounted birds (some of 
which were useful at the time, it is true, but which no 
longer are), for which storage must be provided. To our 
disappointment, the owners have as yet shown no tendency 
to regard the Museum as other than a place of temporary 
storage of the collections, intead of, as hoped and as would 
naturally be expected, after a reasonable number of years, 
a more or less willing recipient, the collections to be made 
use of as seemed wisest to experienced persons. 
