6 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



taken place, a marked improvemeDt in the agricultnral 

 methods of the future may be anticipated. 



Here I may perhaps be allowed to say that the neces- 

 sity for teaching Practical Entomology in the State 

 schools has often impressed me, and I trust the time is 

 not far distant when the sons of the farmers and others 

 interested will be able to distinguish between their garden 

 friends and enemies. 



In Victoria, as in the other Australian colonies, the 

 principal troubles which those engaged in the cultivation of 

 the soil have to contend against are droughts, fires, floods, 

 insect and fungus pests. Any work that will contain 

 information whereby the eiFect of the ravages of any of 

 these may be lessened cannot fail to be welcomed and 

 duly appreciated by those for whom it is intended. 



As the Government has done me the honour to intrust 

 me with the preparation of this pu1)lication, I should wish 

 to say at the outset that I am not writing a scientific 

 treatise on the insects of Victoria. The work, as its title 

 indicates, is simply a Handbook of Injurious Insects. 



It will be issued in Parts, each Part to contain ten or 

 more coloured plates. The object of issuing the work in 

 Parts will be easily understood. The first issue will 

 consist of 9,000 copies. 



A short introduction to Entomology is given, this 

 having been taken from Miss Ormerod's w^ell-known and 

 valuable work, "A Manual of Injurious Insects." 



A brief account of the classification of insects has been 

 adapted (for reasons shown elsewhere) from Professor 

 Westwood's "A Guide to Modern Classification of Insects," 

 &c., &c. 



