REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 103 



it " a blessing in disguise." In his eyes it has proved a powerful 

 auxiliary in securing attention to the necessity of the study of insect 

 pests and to what is being done for their control ; and thus to have ad- 

 vanced the science of economic entomology to an extent that the 

 labors of entomologists, unaided by its presence, could not have at- 

 tained in years. 



At the meeting of the Association of Economic Entomologists held 

 at Springfield, Mass., in August, a half-day was devoted to the con- 

 sideration of this insect. One of the papers there presented — "On 

 the p]lm-leaf Beetle in Albany " — was read in advance of its publica- 

 tion in this report, as was also another, entitled " The Cottonwood 

 Beetle, Lina scripta, in Western New York." 



As much time as could be spared from more imperative labors, has 

 been given to the arrangement and classification of the Collection. Its 

 reference to families has been about completed, and progress made in 

 generic and specific determinations. When the additional cases that 

 have been ordered, are secured, it will then be possible to carry on 

 the classification more thoroughly and satisfactorily. So far as record 

 lias . been kept, 1006 specimens have been mounted from former collec- 

 tions and contributions, 560 labeled with locality and date, and 305 

 with scientific name. 



In my report for 1894, mention is made of work done upon the 

 AjidrenidcB (the short-tongued bees). The collection now embraces 98 

 species, 12 of which are unnamed. They have all been submitted to 

 ]\Ir. Charles Robertson, of Carlinville, 111., who has been making 

 special study of the family. So far as could be done, they have been 

 identified by him, and a number of additional species not in the col- 

 lection submitted, have been procured from him. The family is 

 numerous in species, 144 species having been listed by Cresson in 

 18S7, and 70 species have since been described by Mr. Robertson. 



The other family of the Bees, viz., the Apidce, contains an immense 

 number of species, no less than 517 being named in the Cresson 



