86 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OK ONTARIO. 



Mr. William Kelly, at that time presidont of the New York State Agricultural 

 Society, and Mr. J J. F. Johnson, its corresponding secretary, performed their dutifs in the 

 j)repi)ration of these instructions in the most admirable manner. In fact, so well were 

 they ))erformed that we imagine Dr. Fitch himself may have drafted the report which was 

 signed by these gentlemen. So far as we are aware, no subsequent appointment of an 

 official entomologist has ever l)een accompanied by such a full, explicit, and able paper, 

 and for this reason we quote it in full : 



As our Slate has Ivm] a thorough oxamin.'ttion made of all branches of itH natural history except its 

 insects, it is of tlu; highest iinportance that the remaining branch -not lews in importance than the others — 

 should receive attention. The committee feel assunnl that in the selection of ])r. Kitch they have secured 

 a person every way comjjetent to discharge the duties imposed in a manner creditable to the society and 

 the State. 



In carrying out this examination it is desirable that equal prominence be given to economical as well as 

 to Hci(!ntific entomology, that being the part of this science which is specially important to the comm^inity 

 at large. It has been objected to the volumes of the Natural History of the State that they are tuo pure.ly 

 scientilic in their character to be of special value to the great mass of our citizen-, and in the worlc now to 

 be p(>rformed it is obvious that it will be of very little consecpience to know that a (jarticular kind of moth 

 or fly is )»Ti iidiabitant of this State unless we are also informed of its history and habits, and whether it is a 

 deprtnlator upon any substance which is of value to man The habits and instincts of our insects area pro- 

 per subject of in(|uiry us much as tiieir names and marks by vviiich they are dintinguished from each other. 

 The whole history of every noxious species should at least be traced out as fully as circumstances will 

 permit. 



The examiner is tht^efore directf^d, in the first i)lace, to niake^ for the present season the insects which 

 infest our fruit trees the leading object of examination. Tliose infesting our forest trees, our grain and 

 other crops, our gardc^n vegetables, eur animals, etc., will remain to be studif^l hereafter. Tiiu examiner is 

 d(!sired in his examinations to search out every insect which is a depredator upon our apple, plum, i)ear, 

 cherry, peach and othitr friut tr(!os, and study out all the facts in the history of each siiecies, both in its 

 larva and in its perfect state, as far as lie shall have opjKjrtunity to do so. In this way a broad foundation 

 will be laid, to which additions can be made which future observations may show to be necessary. 



Should any im])ortant insect di^predator appear the present season in any other situatitjn than upon the 

 fruit tr'ees, the opjiortunity for studying it should not be neglected, for the same species may not appear 

 again in many years under circuirrstanc(!s as favorable for becoming ac(juainted with its real history. 



Secondly, what time is not necessarily occupied in examining the insects infesting our fruit trees should 

 be devoted to collecting and classifying the insects of the State, and to naming and describing such si)eci9i« 

 as have not been described. 



A report to b(! i)ropared at the end of the season, to be submitted to the legislature, showmg what lias 

 be(!n accomijlished duringthe season, to be divided into two parts. Tlie first, upon economical entomoli>gy, 

 giving an .-iceount of all that liiis been ascertained res]>ecting the insec;ts infesting our fruit trees, and any 

 other injurious species tiiat may iiave been obtained. The second, upon scientific entomology, giving a 

 systematically arranged catalogue of all the insects of the State, so far as they an; known, with a brief don- 

 cnption of such ninv and und<!scribed as may be discovered. 



The work should be pursued with a view of eventually securing to the State as full and coui])lete ac- 

 coiurts of all the insects of this State as far as to place this important science (which is at the |>r-esent so 

 gntatly in tln^ background, and so partially and imi)erfectly explorea on this side of the Atlantic) m as per- 

 fect a position and as favorable a sitvuition for being acipiired as its nature will admit of. Should there be 

 time, in addition to the above, to perform other labor, it is desired : 



Thirdly, that a coniinencernent should bo iruvde in writing out full descriptions of the species ))ortaining 

 to some particidar order, with observations upon the time of appe t,ring, habits, etc., with a \ ievv of future 

 publication, so as to .secure a complete account of all th<^ insects of the .State ^lertaining to tiuit order. 



Lastly, suits of specimens to fully illustrate both the economical and scientific entomology of the State 

 should be gather<Hl in connection with the otlier nai-ts of this work, to bo plaje<l in the Cabinet of Natural 

 History ; and in tiie Agricultural .Museum specimens of the wood, leaves ami fruits ; and other substances 

 depredated upon by eacii and (^very si)ecies of our noxious insects, showing the galls or other excrescencfi« 

 which they occasion, the holes or burrows which they excavate, the web» or other coverings for themselves 

 which they construct, with preserved specimens of the worms, caterpillars, etc., by which each of these 

 deformities is produccul. 



Such further examination as Dr. Fitch may deem necessary to carry out fully the objects desired to be 

 accomplishod, as from time to time may be deemed advisable, the committee desire may be made. 



William Kklly, 

 li. F. Johnson, 



Committee. 



Dr. Fitch, while not officially designated as State entomologist of New York, was 

 always given this title by courtesy, and continued in office until 1871 or 1872, when hi* 

 fourteenth report was published, and when the infirmites of age atTected him to such an 

 extent that he could no longer continue his investigations. The reports were published 

 in the Transactions of the State Agricultural Society from 1851 to 1870, skipping tho 

 years 18r)9, 186r) and 1868. The lirst eleven have been published separately, as well aa 



