1 Department of Entomology 



The work of teaching has been increasingly difficult, due to the natural 

 unrest among the students consequent upon the progress of the war 

 and also to the loss of a very large niimber of the younger teachers and 

 the assumption of their work to a considerable degree by those who remain. 

 Of the twelve men who began the work of the year as graduate assistants, 

 but two now remain. One has been replaced by a young woman, and 

 one by a man who is still an undergraduate, men of the usual qualifications 

 being no longer available. 



Investigation. — Conditions have become equally unfavorable for 

 research, except of the sort that is directed toward immediately practical 

 ends. Yet a considerable amount of good work is being done by graduate 

 students and a very creditable collection of research papers has been 

 published during the year. Noteworthy among these is Dr. W. D. 

 Funkhouser's Biology of the Memhracidae of the Cayuga Lake Basin, pub- 

 lished as a memoir of the agricultural experiment station. Most of the 

 young men who have entered their country's service have temporarily 

 abandoned important research work to which they were thoroughly 

 committed. Nrmierous outside more or less public duties growing out 

 of the war have greatly limited the always meager opportunities for 

 research on the part of older members of the staff. 



Extension. — The extension side of the Department's work is being 

 pushed with more than usual vigor. The food shortage has made a heavy 

 demand for all the aid that can be rendered in the way of protecting crops 

 from insect pests. However, with the utmost effort the Department 

 will not be able to do what it should, for lack of trained men. 



Recommendations. — In this time of war but a single recommendation is 

 offered — the establishment of the fish-cultural experiment station which 

 has long been a part of the Department's plans. This is as much a war 

 measure as any other measure having to do with increasing the food 

 supply. When the supply of animal food is so short, it is surely a good 

 time to remember the following facts: 



1. The amount of fish in the country can be increased more rapidly 

 than that of almost any other animal food. 



2. Unlike hogs and chickens, fishes are not direct competitors with 

 man for food. They feed on stuffs that man cannot use. 



3. The fish crop can be raised without displacing another crop because 

 the areas needed are now unproductive. 



4. The fish crop may be expanded indefinitely, since there are extensive 

 waste wet lands whose utilization in pond culture would bring into human 

 service the most neglected of all our natural resources. 



