Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/37

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��1 wu free from spol^. I liiiil Llial I observed the ■an. for the purffbse of uiapphig ELs spiils, Dec. 5. «t eight A M., Washington (Peiin.) local lime, and il •eemtid to be entirely clear. The instrument lued w»s a fotir-inch refractor. Thinking I might have OTerlooked some small ones, I observed it again with an elght-incb refractor at 1ia!f-past oue, power of a fanndred and ftfljr, and did not see any spots. The eontnut between the suu's face, Dec. 5. 1883, and Nov. 6, 1683, is very marked. I And I mapped seven group* on Nor. 5, 1883, one of lliem having eight well-developed spots. D.J, McAham.

�� ��On the care ot entomological museuma.

��the'i 1 ^that

��Thi; editorial PommenM on this subject in- .Science Oei;. IS) are certainly very pertinent. For a long have been at woric on the micro-lepidoptera of Nortli America, until now I b»ve by tar the lar- gest collection of the Pyralidae. Tlneidse, and Ptero-

��Mcta authentically named by a careful comparison with the original types, in order that the collection, already so laige, should prove hi some sense an aathorltatlre standard for comparison. This work has, of course, given me an opportunity of observing the condition ol the types of North- American mlcro- lepldoptera in the colleccioos both ot this country id Europe, and cbe care which they have received. In some American museums the Insects are looked by men who have to gain their livelihood in ... vocation remote from the museum. The au- lorilies of other inuseuma have the Impression that they have made adequate provisions for the preservation of their Inaectrcoliection when it is put

��not surprising that so man; types are represei>ted these niuaenms by a labelled pin only.

One great trouble Is, that many museum offlcials

hare very little appreciation of the vast amount of

Ubor. care, skill, and knowledge required to bring

together, properly arrange, preserve, and make ac-

_«eulble to those who are competent, and desire to

i itady any one or more of the Insects in It, a large and

I varied collection. One director told me that it did not

I teem profitable to pay a man two thousand dollars lo

watch a thousand dollars' worth of inaecls; and yei

be WM uot at liberty to dispose of them, so they must

go to destruction.

At present I believe the museum at Cambridge i; the only one In this country which gives assurance that a competent curator of entomology will always be employed; yet I think it is not provided with mean* to purchase collections of insects. The Na- tional museum has appointed an honorary curator; but it might as well be without any as to have one whose entire time is occupied elsewhere, for who would lliink of donating valuable and perishable types to a museum thus ooicered I

As matters now stand, it is better for those uho

��m to go lo the Museum of com- parative lodlogy: but, if they are not able to give Asm, Uiey should go Into the hands of private In- dividuals who are working on that particular class of Insects. It Is better tor them to be sold to the Knropean museums, where tUey will be pi-eserved.

��Tour remarks, p. 540, In regard to tli<> preservitllou ot insect-collections are eminently proper and lo the point, with the eKception uf the closing assertion, which is not justlHed. It Is true that the curatoi^ ship of insects in the National museum is at present honorary, and that there is no paid assistant; but it Is equally true, that, since my charge of that depart- ment, all collections and every single specimen re- ceived at the museum have been properly cared for; 80 that where, up lo three years ago, nothing of the many valuable collections brought to the museum remained, there is now the nncTeus of n collection; and do long as 1 am curator ot the department, honor- ary merely thoneli the position may be, no material ahall go uncared for. Peeling that a beginning to- ward a national collection had to be made, and that the museum was the proper place for It, I have thus far given my time to this object In Ihe hellef that proper financial provision will be forthcoming for such conduct of the department as will guarantee both the preservation and the future care of collec- tions. When such provision Is made, my own private collection, and others that I know of, will be donated to the InsUtuUon. Until then much valuable ento- mological maierial will naturally he lost lo the capital.

C. V. RlLKY.

[We neither expressed nor intended any slur what- ever upon Ibc present honorary curator of the iusect- collectlons ot the National museum. As any one can see, our remarks applied lo the perpetual care ot valuable colIecUons. If they are not insured per- petual care, the less of them that go there the better. And so we repeat, that "the appointment ot an hon- orary curator is worse than useless. It only deceives those who know no betlec, into the supposition that collections sent to the museum are Insured proper care. They are not.'' We regret If the present hon- orary curator feels hurt by this ' closing assertion ; ' but it is the only logical outcome from our previous remarks, which he characteriMs 'emlnenlly proper and lo Ihe point.' — En,)

��is l«7li, the year in which Ihe Jolins Hop- kins university waa njKued to studcots, u small chemical Inboratorv was built. It was large enough to accommo'late about forty working students, and was well equipped with the neces- sary conveniences for chemical work, from the most elementary to the most advanced, in the course of a few years, temporary desks were put lip wherever nil available corner could be found, and Hnally it became evident that a larger building must be erected. Accordingly, the trustees voted to enlai^c the old laboratorj- 9o as to make room for a hundred students. The work has refontly lieeu completed; .Tiid,

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