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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 16 
inches wide and four and a half feet long. The distribution of the holes in the plank 
was not uniform but the holes were rather scattered; in some places there were as 
many as six holes to the square inch, whereas in other places there were only one or 
two, or perhaps none, in an area equally as large. 
One hole, which was examined, extended into the floor vertically for a distance of 
one-fourth inch when it suddenly turned at right angles and ran parallel with the 
surface of the floor for seven inches. In this gallery was found a great deal of frass, 
but no signs of the wasp or its immature stages. 
The writer recommended that Mr. Williams treat each of the holes with carbon 
bisulphide by injecting this material into the holes with a little oil-can or syringe. 
This treatment to be followed in a couple of days by painting or varnishing the floor. 
M. R. Smith, 
State Plant Board , A. & M. College , Miss. 
The Aldrich Collection of Diptera. The National Museum has recently received 
as a gift from Dr. J. M. Aldrich his private collection of Diptera. This collection 
was begun in 1890, and for 28 years received a good share of the owner’s efforts; 
since he went to the National Museum in 1918 it has, however, received no additions. 
A recent inventory showed it to contain 44,610 pinned specimens and 4,145 species 
fully named; 534 of the latter were represented by type material. There are some 
hundreds of undescribed species; and as Dr. Aldrich collected for many years in 
the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain regions, his collection contains many named 
species not heretofore represented in the National collection. 
Dr. Aldrich also donated to the museum his card index of the literature of North 
American Diptera, begun in 1898 and now extending to about 70,000 references as 
nearly as can be estimated. With the exception of about 20 hours’ work, this is all 
by the hand of the owner himself, and represents to a large extent his own con¬ 
clusions from the literature rather than a mere compilation. 
In a letter to his chief presenting the collection and index, Dr. Aldrich states that 
he was deterred from taking this action sooner because the salaries paid by the 
museum are still on the scale established in 1882 (except for a temporary war bonus 
of $240), and he did not feel sure that he could continue permanently as one of the 
curators. Recently, however, under the reclassification act passed by the last 
congress, the museum staff have been assured of a new pay schedule approximating 
the requirements of the present time. Science, October iq , 1923 
