112 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



very complete, but in the similar economic literature of Germany, 

 France, and other European countries the records have not been 

 collected with the same pains, and most of the literature is 

 unknown except in the limited districts in which it finds first 

 circulation, but the combined bulk of it must be almost as great 

 foi these countries as it is in the United States, especially in 

 Germany, where forestry inspectors and entomologists are 

 numerous, and in France, where agricultural and horticultural 

 schools abound. 



From the foregoing data I do not think I am likely to exceed 

 the truth in putting the bulk of the writings on insects available 

 to-day at the equivalent of from 12 to 15 thousand volumes. 

 This estimate does not include the recent literature of apiculture, 

 the extent of which in later years may be gathered from the fact 

 that, as listed for me by Mr. Benton, there are now some 63 

 journals devoted to this special subject, Germany standing at the 

 head with some 30, the United States following with 8, and 

 many other countries represented by from i to 3 or 4 each. 



The Number of Persons Interested in the Science at Vari 

 ous Periods. 



Another field for estimate which has some interest is to deter 

 mine the number of individuals at various times in the past who 

 were interested in and wrote more or less on the subject of in 

 sects. For the earlier centuries we have no means of estimating, 

 with any accuracy, the number of working entomologists at any 

 given time since the records relate only to the more important 

 names. Some idea of their number may be gained by refer 

 ence to the number of available works at various periods already 

 given (seep. 109-110). 



To determine the number of individuals who are interested in 

 entomology at the present time is also a difficult matter, since 

 all available records are unsatisfactory. The volume of the 

 Zoological Record for 1895 contains a list of 625 authors who 

 dealt with insects proper, and 200 additional who wrote on 

 Arachnida and Myriapoda. An examination of the volumes for 

 the few years immediately preceding 1895 reveals three or four 



