STATE HOETICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



107 



1874. During this time he contributed entomological reports which 

 appeared in the publications of Wheeler's Geological and Geographi- 

 cal Survey, in those of Northwestern Boundary Survey and Lieut. 

 RufEner's Report, besides his contributions as an officer of the survey 

 and writing his chief scientific work " Synopsis Acrididffi of North 

 America," one of the most valuable of the quarto series of Hayden's 

 report, and considered the most exhaustive work on the family 

 extant. 



While connected with the Survey he was married (1870) to 

 Miss Dawes, of Pennsylvania, who daily assisted him in his scientific 

 work. 



Having been elected to the professorship of Natural Sciences 

 in the Southern Normal University, at Carbondale, Illinois, in 1874, 

 he severed his connection with the survey, the next year being ap- 

 pointed State Entomologist by Gov. Oglesby. His six reports, which 

 were issued during the time he held the latter position, are of espe- 

 cial value, as a portion of each forms part of a manual of economic 

 entomology. The first is devoted to Coleoptera; the second to Lepi- 

 doptera (by Prof. G. H. French); the third to the Aphididae; the 

 fourth to cabbage insects and Acrididse of the State; the fifth to the 

 larvae of some of the Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera; the sixth to 

 injurious insects of the year. Each volume also gives a large 

 amount of entomological information made up from notes of the 

 year, and twomonographs — the chinch bug and the Hessian fly — ^(by 

 Dr. A. S. Packard). In his entomological work the doctor was 

 assisted bv Mrs. Thomas, Prof. G. H. French, Miss Emma J. Smith, 

 Mr. John'Marten, Mr. D. W. Coquillet and Miss Nettie Middleton as 

 regular assistants, each of whom contributed articles for his reports, 

 which adds much to their value. 



Upon the organization of the United States Entomological 

 Commission, Prof. Thomas was appointed one of the three members — 

 Drs. Riley and Packard being his associates — and served until the 

 labors of the commission were complete. He furnished several chap- 

 ters to the first report and materials for the others, besides writing 

 Bulletin No. 5, on the Chinch Bug, the only complete paper on the 

 subject, until the recent appearance of Mr. Howard's cyclopedic 

 essay. 



In July, 1882, Dr. Thomas resigned his professorship at the 

 University and the office of State Entomologist, accepting a place 

 in the Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 

 D. C, and has since devoted his attention to archeology. In his new 

 field of labor he has added greatly to our knowledge of mound build- 

 ers of the Mississippi Valley and Gulf States, and is one of the most 

 successful students of the Maya manuscripts. 



As a writer he always communicated his thoughts in the clearest 

 English and in a methodical manner, his papers being arranged ac- 



