AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



THE first edition of this work was printed in the year 1841. 

 It formed one of the scientific Reports, which were pre- 

 pared and published by the Commissioners on the Zoological and 

 Botanical Survey of Massachusetts, agreeably to an order of the 

 General Court, and at the expense of the State. The Commis- 

 sion for this Survey bore the date of June 10th, 1837 ; and the 

 following instructions from his Excellency, Governor Everett, ac- 

 companied it : — 



" It is presumed to have been a leading object of the Legisla- 

 ture, in authorizing this Survey, to promote the agricultural benefit 

 of the Commonwealth, and you will keep carefully in view the 

 economical relations of every subject of your inquiry. By this, 

 however, it is not intended that scientific order, method, or com- 

 prehension should be departed from. At the same time, that 

 which is practically useful will receive a proportionally greater 

 share of attention, than that which is merely curious ; the promo- 

 tion of comfort and happiness being the great human end of all 

 science." 



Upon a division of duties among the Commissioners, the depart- 

 ment of Insects was assigned to me. Some idea of the extent 

 of this department may be formed by an examination of my Cata- 

 logues of the Insects of Massachusetts, appended to the first and 

 second editions of Professor Hitchcock's Report, in which above 

 2,300 species were enumerated ; and these doubtless fall very far 

 short of the actual number to be found within this Commonwealth. 



