ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



[The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit and will thankfully receive 

 items of news likely to interest its readers from any source. The author's name 

 will be given in each case, for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] 



TO CONTRIBUTORS. All contributions will be considered and passed upon 

 at our earliest convenience, and, as far as may be, will be published according to 

 date of reception. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in num- 

 bers and circumference, as to make it necessary to put "copy" into the hands of 

 the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be re- 

 membered in sending special or important matter for a certain issue. Twenty-five 

 "extras," without change in form, will be given free, when they are wanted- P- 

 this should be so stated on the MS., along with the number desired. The receipt 

 of all papers will be acknowledged. EB. 



PHILADELPHIA, PA., MARCH, 1910. 



"The value of farm products for 1908-9 was according to 

 Secretary Wilson's report estimated at $8,760,000,000 and if 

 insects take a toll of ten per cent, they destroy in value $876,- 

 000,000. This does not include crops in storage, forests and 

 forest products which would probably add another $100,000,- 

 ooo making the total annual tax chargeable to insects $1,076,- 

 000,000." 



Now that looks like big money. 



Entomologists study insects and they doubtless do some 

 good. They collect them and write about them and classify 

 them. On the whole entomologists are of some benefit. Now 

 suppose one of these entomologists wishes to import a few in- 

 sects for study what happens? He is called upon to pay duty 

 on them and is annoyed in many ways and very likely the in- 

 sects are ruined and he at last pays the Government thirty cents 

 which, doubtless, aids in repairing this loss due to injurious in- 

 sects or else prevents foreign species of insects from com- 

 peting with home industries. Tf there is any sense in having a 

 duty on insects, imported for study by an individual, and not 

 for sale, we would like to know what it is. Unfortunately little 

 can be done in the matter as the people controlling such affairs 

 have neither the interest nor intelligence to bother about the 

 thing. We have ample evidence to show that this statement is 



true. 



132 



