BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 417 



INSECT PEST SURVEY. 



J. A. Hyslop has continued in charge of this branch of the bureau's 

 work since its inception in March, 1921. The survey has now func- 

 tioned two years and three months. It has filled the need that 

 has long been felt among entomological workers for a medium 

 through which they could be kept closely in touch with insect condi- 

 tions in the various parts of the country, and for a permanent record 

 of these conditions correlated with the prevailing meteorological 

 conditions from year to year, which should, in time, serve as a 

 fundamental basis for the next departure in economic entomology; 

 i. e., entomological forecasting. This work has been so successful 

 that a similar survey has been inaugurated within the year in the 

 Dominion of Canada, along lines very similar to those of the bureau's 

 organization. 



During the fiscal year 1923 the survey completed volume 2 of 

 its monthly bulletin, comprising Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, 130 pages 

 of text material and an index of 34 pages, and the first 4 numbers 

 of volume 3, comprising 162 pages of text material; The magni- 

 tude of this work is indicated in that 507 different species of insects 

 were recorded in volume 2 of the Insect Pest Survey Bulletin as 

 of more or less economic importance in some part of the United 

 States. 



As an incident to the work of the survey a card index has been 

 prepared of the common names applied to insects in this country. 

 This card index now includes about 4,500 common names. The 

 index is arranged alphabetically, first, under the common names 

 and, second, under the Latin names, which facilitates the finding of 

 the common name of any insect. This card index is now also being 

 used by the bureau committee which is cooperating with the Ameri- 

 can Association of Economic Entomologists in standardizing common 

 names, and forms a basis for the work of this committee. 



During the past year the entomologist in charge of the survey held 

 one meeting of the survey's collaborators at the time of the annual 

 meeting of the American Association of Economic Entomologists. 

 At this meeting considerable progress was made in organizing the 

 survey and standardizing survey methods. In addition, a cooperative 

 agreement was effected with the entomologist of the Dominion of 

 Canada for an exchange of notes, whereby each survey now publishes 

 the outstanding entomological features of the neighboring country. 



During the past season the annual summary for 1921 was issued, 

 comprising a report on 19 of the more important insects of the year. 

 It has been found very desirable to increase materially the scope of 

 the annual summary, and the summary for 1922 will cover 39 species 

 of insect pests. Owing to this increase in the scope of the work and 

 the increasing mass of material being received by the survey from 

 its collaborators for monthly publication, the completion of this 

 summary is very much delayed. 



