13 



say that the arrangement of my cabinet specimens is so far perfected that Dr. Horn or I 

 will bi' willing to name any sets of Rhyncophora of the United States or Dominion of 

 Canada, which are sent us, provided that the return of the specimens sent is not required. 

 Thosuliji'ct has been such an extremely troublesome one, and there are still so many uniques 

 in our cabinets, that they need filling up in order to give them that value for future refer- 

 ence which I hope they will possess, and it will also be desirable for the proper 

 recognition of the new genera and species, many of which are very abundant, that 

 specimens should be distributed to foreigners, who have studied this difficult group of 

 objects. 



The excellent volume of Dr. A. S. Packard, jr., " Monograph of the Geometrid Moths 

 of the United States," forming Vol. X of the United States Geological Survey of the 

 Territories, requires special mention among the contributions to Entomology since our last 

 meeting. We owe the existence of this volume to Dr. F. V. Hayden, Geologist-in-Chief 

 of the Survey, and I hope that a continued appreciation by the National Legislature of 

 the importance of the work done and published by the survey, will ensure us many future 

 volumes of similar merit. 



The ordinary routine work of the description of new genera and species, is going on 

 in the various orders of insects with about the usual degree of rapidity. But from every 

 one comes the same complaint : Too many new forms to be described ! 



The observations on economic applications of Entomology for the protection of agri- 

 culture are also advancing in a most commendable mannner, considering that the 

 public and their servants in office still fail to recognise the magnitude of the interests 

 involved. 



References to the memoirs contained in the volumes of reports, and to isolated papers 

 in agricultural and other journals, will be found in Psyche, a periodical, which, though 

 small, is indispensable to every one occupied in the study of the insects of North 

 America. 



I would gladly stop here, but a truthful instinct, a sense of duty to science, and my 

 obligation to you alike forbid silence. I have to speak of a subject of a disagreeable 

 nature. 



It is concerning the efforts made by you and other members of the Association at the 

 last meeting at Detroit, to procure the appointment of a Commission for the protection 

 of agriculture against noxious insects ; this Commission to be composed of properly 

 informed men of science, and chosen under such circumstances as would prevent the 

 influence of political bias, or personal favouritism. If I do not fatigue your memory too 

 much, you will recollect the memorials that were so extensively signed in relation to this 

 subject, copies of which memorials are again before you. These memorials were exten- 

 sively circulated at the West, and were signed by many of the most influential bodies for 

 the promotion and protection of agriculture in that region. During the winter these 

 memorials were sent to Congress, in the expectation that some proper legislation would 

 follow. One of the Senators, in fact, introduced a bill which seems to have been very 

 carefully considered, and indeed bears upon its face some evidence of scientific guidance. 

 This bill provided for the appointment of three Commissioners for five years, the Com- 

 missioners to be nominated by the Council of the National Academy of Science to the 

 Secretary of the Interior. This bill, having been referred to the Committee on Agricul- 

 ture, was returned, completely orchidized, in such form as to provide for one Commis- 

 sioner, to be appointed by the Department of Agriculture, the very enemy and incubus 

 from which the western agriculturists specially desired to be relieved. 



The bill in this form passed the Senate, several of the members taking occasion in 

 the discussion which preceded the passage to talk to the demonstration of their own igno- 

 rance of the subject. However, this discussion has been already so severely commented 

 upon in several of the newspapers of the Mississippi Valley that it is quite unnecessary 

 for me to add anything farther, except the hope that the Legislature which choose the 

 successors of those Senators will have men of better education and higher intelligence 

 offered to them as candidates for the position. 



I regret to have been obliged to introduce this unpleasant subject, about which I feel 

 a warmth and severity, unsuited to the position in which you have placed me. I must 

 therefore close by begging you, in your respective localities, to continue aiding me in my 



