February, '13] ENTOMOLOGISTS' PROCEEDINGS 7 



At the suggestion of Prof. R. H. Pettit of Michigan and Director 

 C. P. Gillette of Colorado, the committee included in the slip an in- 

 quiry looking toward the formation o'" a taxonomic directory, which 

 it is hoped may aid those of us who need aid in identification and those 

 who are engaged in taxonomic studies. 



The response to this inquiry has been very representative, very few 

 of the states in which entomological work is being done failing to reply. 

 The replies clearly indicate, however, that a considerable number, 

 perhaps a little over half, prefer to give merely a statement of names of 

 projects under consideration. No correspondent raised any objection 

 to the taxonomic directory and some warmly commended it. 



In accordance with the custom, a preliminary report, including a list 

 of projects and the taxonomic directory, was prepared and has been 

 published in the December issue of the Journal. A few of the re- 

 plies came after the copy of the preliminary report was sent to the 

 printer, and the data contained in them will be found at the close of 

 this report. 



Comparatively few statements were made relative to point No. 4 

 of the inquiry which was '*if you can find time please prepare a brief 

 statement of what you believe to be the characteristic marks of worthy 

 entomological investigation," and such as came indicated such a diver- 

 sity of opinion that no attempt wall be made to review them. In fact, 

 your committee feels that this phase of the inquiry has not received 

 much encouragement. 



At the time the Committee on Entomological Investigations w^as 

 created, it was understood that it should not only further cooperation 

 by making known to all the different lines of study each was pursuing, 

 but that it should stand for ideals of economic entomological inves- 

 tigation. The first part of its duty this present committee has dis- 

 charged in its preliminary report and in the supplement with which 

 this is closed. The second phase it now proposes to treat. 



"Scientific investigation" may be defined as the collection of data 

 relative to a certain definite matter for the purpose of advancing 

 human knowledge of that matter beyond previous limits, and usually 

 involves the formulation and statement of results. Of course, in en- 

 tomological investigation the data collected relate primarily to insect 

 life, and in economic entomological investigation the data refer to 

 some phase of insect life in relation to human welfare. 



No single investigator can exhaust any one department of ento- 

 mological study and his investigation must necessarily, if it is to 

 serve human kind to best advantage, form one of the building units 

 in the edifice of knowledge. His investigation must, therefore, be so 

 planned, conducted and especially so reported that his co-laborers in 



