INTRODUCTION 



Some time during the year 1895, a package containing the 

 first volumes of "A Manual for the Study of Insects" fresh from the 

 press, came to the Insectary at Cornell University where the writer lived 

 and worked as a student in entomology. Professor Mark Vernon Slinger- 

 land and the writer rushed with feverish haste to open the box in order 

 to see and handle as quickly as possible, this wonderful book, the publi- 

 cation of which we had awaited with such great anticipation and interest. 

 The event, because of its inspirational value, was almost as significant in 

 the life of the writer as it was, for other reasons, in that of the author of 

 the book; and now after thirty-odd years it becomes a peculiar pleasure 

 to have the opportunity of revising that first Manual of Professor Com- 

 stock's. 



The aim of the revision has been to keep the Manual in form and 

 arrangement practically as it was first written. The attempt has been 

 made, of course, to bring the subject-matter down to date, to simplify it 

 and to condense it somewhat in order to bring it within the horizon of 

 the beginning student. The more advanced student in entomology has 

 been adequately cared for by Professor Comstock's much more extended 

 work, "An Introduction to Entomology," and by other works of somewhat 

 similar character. 



The writer acknowledges with gratitude, the interest and hearty aid 

 of his colleagues, notably that of Dr. O. A. Johannsen who compiled the 

 simplified table of the Diptera and who read the manuscript on that 

 order; that of Dr. W. T. M. Forbes who formulated the shorter table of 

 the Lepidoptera and also read and criticised the text treating of this 

 order; that of Dr. J. C. Bradley with the Hymenoptera; and of Dr. 

 J. G. Needham from whose' papers and works on the aquatic forms the 

 writer has drawn freely. 



Some of the old figures of the Manual have been omitted, notably 

 several of those illustrating wing- venation. The need of these is not so 

 great at this time for the Comstock-Needham system of naming the 

 wing- veins of insects is now thoroughly established and familiar to stu- 

 dents and teachers of entomology. Many new figures have been added. 

 The writer is indebted to Doubleday, Page and Company for permission 

 to use figures 11, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, and 35, from the "Spider 

 Book" by J. H. Comstock, to H. Holt and Company, for figures 270, 

 302, and 564, from the "Manual of Injurious Insects," by Glenn W. 

 Herrick, to MacMillan Company for figures 13, 30, and 510, from Her- 

 rick's "Insects Injurious to the Household" and to Dr. Grace H. Gris- 

 wold for figure 598a. 



Glenn W. Herrick 



Ithaca, N.Y. 

 Dec. 2, 1929. 



