DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 29 



date of wi'iting a commercial output amounting to several thousand 

 dollars has been obtained within eighteen months after the insects' 

 first introduction. The Entomologist visited California in November, 



1899, to examine into the overwintering conditions, and in March, 



1900, an assistant was sent to Fresno to make continuous observations 

 through the summer of the present year. A full account of the intro- 

 duction and its potential results will appear in the Yearbook of the 

 Department for 1900. 



While not coming stricth^ under the head of work on insects from 

 abroad, yet, since it bears upon international work, the successful 

 introduction of the South African locust fungus during the year may 

 be referred to here. It will be mentioned again under the head of 

 injurious grasshoppers. 



With tlie helj) of Mr. W. B. Alwood, of the Virginia experiment 

 station, avIio went abroad in the early summer of 1900, the Entomolo- 

 gist is endeavoring to import in living condition certain European 

 tree-inhabiting predatory beetles for use against the Tussock moth 

 caterpillar in the United States, and especially against the larvse of 

 the gipsy moth. The lapse of appropriations by the State of Massa- 

 chusetts against this last-named insect and its possible great increase 

 and spread renders the introduction of its European natural enemies 

 very desirable. 



WORK UPOX INSECTS DAMAGING FORESTS. 



In the last report mention was made of a trip undertaken by Dr. A. D. 

 Hopkins, of the West Virginia experiment station, under the auspices 

 of this Division, to the Xorthwest to studj" forest conditions, especially 

 in relation to damage by insects in portions of northern California, 

 Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The trip was accomijlished during 

 the closing months of the previous fiscal year, but the report was pub- 

 lished as Bulletin No. 21, new series, of this Division in October, 1899. 

 The work was well done, and has met the approval of the Division of 

 Forestry of the Department and of the forest interests of the country. 

 In the spring of 1900, induced by accounts of damage to forests in 

 northern New England, Dr. Hopkins was again commissioned to make 

 a trip to the territory in question, which was accomj)lished during the 

 months of May and June, 1900. Observations were made which are 

 deemed of great practical value, and the report will be published as a 

 special bulletin of the Division. 



SCALE INSECTS. 



Some further experimental work upon the San Jose scale and allied 

 species was carried on during the year, and an accurate record was 

 kept, with the assistance of the Department of State, of the measures 

 adopted by foreign governments to protect their territory from the 

 introduction of the San Jose scale from this countiy. A circular giv- 

 ing a digest of such measures and regulations has been published 

 (No. 41, second series) for the guidance of American exporters of 

 I)lants and fruits. The interest in the general subject of scale insects 

 has become so great, largely through the reputation which the San 

 Jose scale has gained for destructiveness, that much attention has 

 been paid to the general subject of scale insects during the year. 

 Two assistants have been devoting their whole time to the study and 

 classification of this group, the results of which will be published 

 later. Scale insects have been sent to the Division, not only from all 



