1S8 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. DoC. 



REPORT OF E}CONOMIC ZOOLOGIST. 



Hareisburg, Pa., January i, 1907. 

 Hon. N. B. Critchfield, Secretary of Agriculture.^ Harrisburg, Pa.: 



Sir: I have the honor to submit to j'ou the Annual Report of the 

 Division of Zoology for the year 1906. 



As originally announced in our Monthly Bulletin in 1903, Vol. 1, 

 No. 1, the work of this office is chiefly comprised under the follow- 

 ing heads: 



1. Examining Specimens and Answering Inquiries. 



2. Personal 'Work: Investigations and Experimentations. 



3. Publications. 

 t. Lectures. 



5. Inspections of Nurseries and Private Premises. 



6. Inspections of Imported Plants, Seeds, and Fruits. 



7. Making Collections. 



To this should now be added one more: 



8. Demonstrations of Methods of Combatting Pests. 



1. EXAMINING SPECIMENS AND ANSWERING INQUIRIES. 



During the past year we have made more additions to our collec- 

 tions than ever before. This is chiefly because many of the office em- 

 ployes have been making collections, especially during their brief 

 hours of recreation, and partly because the public is taking more 

 interest in the work of this office and sending us many specimens 

 with inquiries concerning them. Donations of specimens, large and 

 small have been contributed, and these have been acknowledged by 

 mail and recognized in our Monthly Bulletins. Such collections have 

 been of very great value to us in aiding to procure representations 

 of various forms of life that may be found in this State. We are 

 rapidly putting them into the best shape for study, but in this con- 

 nection we should call attention to the fact that more help is needed 

 in this important work of preparing collections of beneficial and 

 obnoxious insects of this State. During the year 1906 there were 

 three thousand five hundred and eighty (35S0) collections made and 

 recorded in this office, many of which contained thousands of speci- 

 mens, and consequently it can be seen that the number of individual 

 specimens added to our collections is almost incredible in number. 

 The collection is growing rapidly from nothing whatever, three and 

 a half years ago, to one which must today be considered as worthy 

 of a place in the accurately prepared and scientific collections of the 

 world. In few collections have the records ever been so complete, 

 the data so full, the records so carefully and systematically kept, 

 or the specimens so well preserved. 



I wish to take this opportunity to call attention to the care with 

 which the specimens, especially the insects, are preserved by the 

 assistants who have helped with this work, especially such men as 



