OF WASHINGTON. 9 



Mr. S. A. Mitchell. Dr. Morris, in 1844, calls it the most 

 costly but not the most valuable work of Say. 



The publication of North American entomological books pro 

 ceeded at the very slow rate of one in every decade of years 

 until a quite recent period, when they have become much more 

 numerous as a sign of the great interest taken in entomological 

 studies, but it is no exaggeration to say that a single person 

 could easily carry all books on insects that have hitherto been 

 published in this country in the way I speak about. However, 

 after the year 1840, and more especially since 1852, the number 

 of books on insects has been largely increased by the assistance 

 from three sources, viz : the governments of several States, the 

 general Government of the United States, and the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Some of the States have been very liberal in promoting and 

 assisting economic entomology, but they have not done much 

 in assisting the publication of separate works on entomology. 

 In fact I can name only two such works : the first is Dr. Harris' 

 classical " Report on the Insects of Massachusetts Injurious to 

 Vegetation, published agreeably to an order of the Legislature, 

 by the Commissioners on the Zoological Survey of the State." 

 American entomology can justly be proud of this work, which, 

 although possessing a distinct practical bearing, is, in the opin 

 ion of all, of still greater value as an introductory work in the 

 study of American insects. Kven now, after the lapse of nearly 

 fifty years, this work, unchanged regarding the text, but ren 

 dered more attractive in its third edition by some plates and 

 numerous figures, has not become antiquated, and is still by far 

 the best work to be placed in the hands of the beginner. 

 Harris himself seems to have felt that his work was of greater 

 and more general value than indicated by the original title, 

 and in that part of the first edition which was printed ' ' at the 

 charge of the author, ' ' he changed the title to " A Treatise on 

 some of the Insects Injurious to Vegetation," etc. 



Just the opposite must unfortunately be said of the second 

 work printed at the expense of a State, viz : Mr. Emmons' 

 Natural History of New York (1854), m which the insects 

 occupy an entire quarto volume illustrated with fifty plates. 



