40 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



writer has given several addresses on scientific subjects during the year, 

 and Instructor Pettit was assigned to duty on farmers' institutes for two 

 weeks during the fall term. The press of class work during the winter 

 term makes it impracticable for any member of the force to do regular 

 institute work. 



INSECT COLLECTIONS FOR THE COMMON SCHOOLS. 



For several years it has seemed to us that the College might do more 

 than it has done to stimulate interest in nature study in the common 

 schools of the State, and in view of the remarkable increase of interest 

 in such lines recently it was determined to attempt something practical Ln 

 the line of insect study. The State Board of Agriculture supplied the 

 funds for the preparation of 50 cases for insects, and the Department 

 has undertaken to fill these cases and place one in each high school in the 

 State, accompanied by a pamphlet descriptive of the insects contained in 

 each collection. During the summer vacation more than seven thousand 

 insects were collected and prepared, and as soon as the cases were avail- 

 able all spare time was devoted to preparing the collections. Up to the 

 present time twenty-four high schools have been supplied and twenty-five 

 more cases will be sent out early in the fall. Other cases will be made as 

 soon as possible, and it is hoped that each high school in the State may be 

 supplied before the close of the year. Each collection contains about 75 

 specimens of the more common and interesting insects of the State, clearly 

 labeled with both common and scientific names, and numbered for refer- 

 ence to the accompanying pamphlet which contains notes on each species 

 represented. The specimens have been carefully selected so as to illus- 

 trate all the important orders of insects, as well as many of the interest- 

 ing facts of insect life, such as larval and adult forms, protective colora- 

 tion, mimicry, beneficial and harmful species, etc. Each case is of polished 

 cherry with plate glass front, and is intended to hang on the wall of the 

 schoolroom, but can be laid fiat on the table for careful examination. As 

 it is very shallow the insects are close enough to the glass to allow of 

 examination with a reading glass or a low power magnifier without 

 removing the cover. 



These collections have been enthusiastically received by the schools 

 thus far provided and it is evident that they will be useful to the schools 

 in many ways, while at the same time they will serve to bring the College 

 in closer touch with the schools. The actual cost of this experiment is 

 slight compared with the good which is sure to be accomplished ; it is only 

 to be regretted that the plan cannot be enlarged so as to include the 

 smaller schools as well as the larger. 



BIRDS OF MICHIGAN. 



Another matter which has received considerable attention during the 

 year is the bulletin on the birds of the State, for which there is an increas- 

 ing demand. Work on this has been pushed as rapidly as possible but 

 several things have conspired to delay its completion. The former bul- 

 letin, published in 1893 by Professor Cook was necessarily deficient in 

 information as to the birds of the Upper Peninsula as well as several 



