VI PREFACE. 



No attempt Las been made to bring the volume down to the 

 required style of the present day ; rather the reverse, the 

 names of insects being taken from Dr. Harris's manuscript cat- 

 alogues, mostly prepared between 1820 and 1840 ; where no 

 names were given, but simply figures referring to his numbered 

 collection, the more modern names have been inserted ; but all 

 matter of an editorial character has been enclosed in brackets. 



Descriptions of larvje, etc., have been placed in an appendix, 

 as partial histories of insects which future observers may com- 

 plete ; a few isolated descriptions of insects, including the basis 

 of a monograph of the genus Psocus, have been added, because 

 the colors have been mostly described from living insects ; in- 

 deed all of these descriptions and the letters themselves are a 

 record of keen and extensive out-door observation, worthy of 

 the author of the Massachusetts Report. 



It has also seemed best to insert the original descriptions of 

 insects, including the " Contributions to Entomology," which 

 were published by Dr. Harris in agricultural newspapers, and 

 are now entirely inaccessible save in the city where the papers 

 were issued ; the original paging has been inserted for con- 

 venience of reference. Finally, I have added, at the suggestion 

 of Dr. LeConte, such passages of importance in the first edition 

 of Dr. Harris's State Report as were excluded by him from the 

 second edition, to afford space for other material, and were 

 accidentally omitted in the posthumous edition, because it was 

 mainly based upon the second. Thus every important paper or 

 fragment, hitherto inaccessible, has been reproduced, excepting 

 the Hartford essay (No. 31 of the list), which could not be re- 

 printed as it appeared without incurring undesirable expense. 

 It is presumed that the articles in horticultural journals are to 

 be found in most libraries which collect such works. 



The volume presents rather a heterogeneous collection, but 

 I trust it may be acceptable to entomologists and agricultu- 

 rists, and prove a not unworthy memorial of Dr. Harris. I 

 deem myself, peculiarly fortunate in having secured the intro- 



