98 ANNUAL REPORT, OF THE Off. Doc. 



birds preserved, by the methods which we have indicated. Notice- 

 able among those are letters expressing successful methods of apply- 

 ing our new remedy for peach-tree borers, of destroying the San 

 Jos(S Scale and grubs in lawns, preserving trees from destruction 

 by mice and rabbits, inducing birds to nest on the premises, and 

 many others. 



During the past year 1,785 specimens have been sent to us for 

 examination or preservation, most of which have been insects, chiefly 

 scale insects of different species, which the inquirers desired to have 

 identified in order to learn if the dreaded San Jos6 Scale were pres 

 ent upon their premises. Among these specimens, however, have 

 been not only insects, but also mollusks, spiders, cray-fish, millipedes, 

 centipedes and other invertebrates, and also vertelarates represent- 

 ing all classes; fishes, salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, ser- 

 pents, birds and mammals. Among the rare mammals received have 

 been two specimens of the very uncommon Least Weasel, one from 

 Beaver county and the other from Erie county. Among the rare 

 birds have been the snowy owl, the snowflake, and others of inter- 

 est. Many hawks and owls have been preserved and studied. Men- 

 tion is made of these in our annual report as Ornithologist of the 

 State Board of Agriculture, printed elsewhere in this volume. 



All of these specimens have been preserved, and those that were in 

 good condition have been prepared for the State Museum collection. 

 All specimens of insects, diseased plants, etc., have likewise been 

 preserved in this office for future reference, and the system of num- 

 bring and storing has been such that we are able to refer immediately 

 10 any specimen or any letter which has previously come into our 

 hands. This becomes of primary importance in the systematic work 

 of this office for a comparison of previous communications and speci- 

 mens. 



2.— PERSONAL WORK, INVESTIGATIONS AND EXPERIMENTATIONS. 



The investigations of this Division have been of fundamental im- 

 portance, for the reason that we cannot be expected to give constant 

 information upon living and growing subjects without obtaining 

 for ourselves new knowledge of the latest features of these subjects. 

 While we have made a successful effort in procuring all the import- 

 ant publications of experimenters in the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, museums and other State Departments of Agricul- 

 ture, we have needed more than the literature issued by other per- 

 sons in order to be able to render proper service to our citizens. By 

 careful effort we have built up a fairly good working library, espe- 

 cially of recently issued bulletins, and through the kind cooperation 

 of the Board of Public Grounds and Buildings we have been supplied 

 with a card index to these publications. 



The investigations that we have made, necessarily have been 

 greatly limited by the lack of help in this office, and the increasing 

 duties of a greater correspondence and a growing mailing list, but 

 they have applied chiefly to ornithology, herpetology or reptiles, and 

 entomology. We have commenced a study of the reptiles of Penn- 

 sylvania and very keen interest has been aroused upon this sub- 

 ject. A study of the stomach contents of the serpents of our State 

 has shown that they are far more beneficial as destroyers of mice 

 and insects than has previously been supposed. This important work 



