ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 89 



U. S. Entomological Commission, was that year appointed successor to Mr. Glover by the 

 Hon. William G. Le Due, then Commissioner of Agriculture. Prof. Riley took hold of 

 his work with his accustomed vigor, and, during the nine months that he remained in 

 office at that time, accomplished a great deal. His report for the year 1878, though 

 short, is by far the most practical one which the Department had published up to that 

 time. On account of a misunderstanding with the Commissioner, Prof Riley resigned 

 his commission in May, 1879, and Prof J. H. Comstock, of Cornell University, was 

 appointed in his stead. Prof. Comstock remained in office until May, 1881 He com- 

 pleted the investigation of the cotton worm, begun by Prof. Riley, and published a 

 thoroughly practical and useful volume entitled " Report upon Cotton insects," early in 

 1880. In addition to this report he published extensive annual reports covering the yeai's 

 1879 and 1880, which rival in thoroughness and practicality the Missouri reports of Prof. 

 Riley and those which were issued by the Department after his resignation. The report 

 for 1880 is marked by the publication of the results of a preliminary investigation of the 

 insects affecting the orange, and more especially by an elaborate report upon scale insects, 

 which formed the basis of the study of this important and very destructive group of insects 

 in this country. Upon the change of administration in 1881, Prof. Comstock was retired, 

 with a year's commission as investigator, and Prof. Riley resumed charge of the govern- 

 mental entomological work. From that time until June, 1891, Prof. Riley remained 

 consecutively in office. The work which he has accomplished has been of the highest 

 order, and has been largely instrumental in placing the science of economic entomology 

 in this country upon its present sound footing. During the course of his administration 

 of the ottice he has published 12 annual reports, 31 bulletins, 2 special reports, G volumes 

 of the periodical bulletin "Insect Life," and a large number of circulars of information. 

 He has developed not only the scientific side of the work, but also the practical side. 

 Under his direction advances have been made both in insecticides and insecticide 

 machinery, which are of the most far-reaching importance. The earlier work of Prof. 

 Riley will be mentioned in another place, but it will be appi'opriate to state tiere that 

 no other name in the annals of North American economic entomology stands out with the 

 same prominence as his. His work has been called epoch making, and this expression 

 may be considered justified. His voluntary resignation at this time would be greatly to 

 be deplored, were it not for the fact that, with the restoration of his health, which is con- 

 fidently to be anticipated, he will resume his labors — in another capacity, it is true, but 

 along entomological lines and with undiminished vigor. 



Aside from the work of the Division of Entomology, the General Government has,, 

 upon one occasion only, provided for work in economic entomology, as have so many 

 other governments, by the appointment of a special commission. The U. S. Entomological 

 Commission was founded, by authorization of an act of Congress approved March 3, 1877, 

 specifically to report upon the depredations of the Rocky Mountain locust in the Western 

 States and Territories and the best practical methods of preventing its recurrence, or 

 guarding against its invasions. The commission was attached to the U. S. Geological 

 and Geographical Survey of the Territories under the charge of Prof. F. V. Hayden, and 

 the office of chief was filled by the appointment of Prof. 0. V. Riley by the Hon. 

 Carl Schurz, then Secretary of the Interior. The other members of the commission, also 

 appointed by the honorable Secretary of the Interior, upon consultation with Prof. Riley, 

 were Dr. A. S. Packard, jr., of Massachusetts, secretary, and Prof. Cyrus Thomas, of 

 Illinois. The commission remained in existence, supported by annual appropriations by 

 Congress of varying amounts, until 1881. It published 5 reports and 7 bulletins. The 

 first two of the annual reports related to the Rocky Mountain locust and allied migratory 

 locusts, and form together probably the most complete monograph of any one insect ever pub- 

 lished. The practical end was kept constantly in view, and the reports are thoroughly prac- 

 tical, as well as thoroughly scientific. In the appropriations for the year 1879 the commission 

 was instructed to report upon cotton insects, and the results of the investigation thus 

 brought about are published in the fourth report of the commission on the cotton worm 

 and boll worm — another elaborate volume which cannot be too highly praised from all 

 standpoints. The third report treats of a variety of topics and includes two important 

 monographs, one upon the army worm and the other upon canker worms, while the fifth 



