102 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE, Off. DoC. 



been finiiigatod. Had it been necessary for these trees to have been 

 properly iuuiigati d it is probable that practically all of the insects 

 would have been killed. As it was, those upon which the scale could 

 be found were destroyed and the others were fumigated and the 

 shippers lost cousiderable money upon them. Had it not been for 

 this inspection nearly fifty thousand infested peach trees would have 

 been scattered over our State from a nursery that was buying tlie^ 

 wholesale and was at that time free from the pest. 



It is important that we likewise be given the help and funds for 

 inspection of fruits, seeds and nuts brought into this State for propa- 

 gation. The chief obstacle in the way of chestnut culture in this 

 State is the chestnut weevil. Worms in other nuts are common. 

 Other pests may be imported if we be not watchful. Some of the 

 most serious grain pests and enemies of peas, beans, wheat, etc., 

 are disseminated in their seeds. We hope to see a system of seed 

 inspection that v/ill prevent the spread of such pests. 



7.— MAKING COLLECTIONS. 



In addition to the material that has been sent to us by corre- 

 spondents and local collectors iu various parts of the State, it has 

 been quite necessary that our collections contain certain material 

 systematically gathered and properly prepared. No scientist will 

 risk his reputation in attempting to name oli-hand all the creatures 

 with which he conies in contact. As a means of studying the fauna 

 of our State it is very important that w'e have a complete, systematic 

 and economic collection of all the animals of our Commonwealth, 

 including insects and other lower forms of animal life as well as 

 the higher. We have, therefore, lost no opportunity to collect speci- 

 mens, and some of these have been used in the best possible way in 

 public exhibition, as, for example, the collection of birds and mam- 

 mals representing the higher vertebrates fauna of Pennsylvania 

 that were shown at the St. Louis Exposition and which received a 

 gold medal in recognition of their merit. While we have not had 

 funds or assistance for preparing a collection, we have taken a 

 little time for this, and now have a nucleus which can be made a 

 very important center around which to work in building up the 

 Zoological Division of the State Museum. 



It is fortunate that the legislation is being enacted which will 

 grant the retention of the Executive Building as a museum build- 

 ing, and this will consequently relieve to a great extent the demand 

 upon this office for space for the preservation of its material. We 

 hope that in planning the details of the State Museum arrangements 

 will be made for recognizing the importance of economic zoology, 

 including entomology and the great interest in this subject. 



The need of preserving specimens concerning which any notes 

 or records have been published, is illustrated in communications fre- 

 quently received at this office and based upon our last annual report. 

 Eminent scientists in this State have said that some of the records 

 there made are of very great importance and have asked the funda- 

 mental question as to the preservation of the material upon which 

 those records were based. We were fortunate in being able to say 

 that the rare specimens mentioned were preserved in our collection 

 and could be consulted there at any time by specialists or other per- 

 sons interested. 



