— ISO- 

 taking of the erudite author's publications. Not only is each one of the 

 seventeen known species minutely described (six pages in some instances 

 are devoted to a single species) but the history of the family is fully pre- 

 sented together with an extended discuss on of its characters with refer- 

 ence to its assignment to its proper systematic position, which is held by 

 the writer to be near the Termitida (Canad. Kntom, xvii, 1885. Aug., 

 Sept.. Oct. and Nov.). 



Of writings upon the ORTHOPTERA, I find only a List of th, 

 Orthoptera of Kansas, by Lawrence Burner and a note on the habits of 

 CEcanthus, by E. W. Allis. 



A resume of our knowledge of Fossil Insects has been published by 

 Mr. Scudder, in a volume of 113 pages, entitled Systematische Ueber- 

 sicht der Fossilen Myriapoden, Arachnoideen und Insekten. It presents an 

 excellent and comprehensive view of our knowledge of these interesting 

 forms, under a systematic arrangement with definition of groups and 

 abundant illustration. It is understood that it will be republished in this 

 o luntry, 



Mr. Scudder is at present engaged upon an extensive work as it 

 will necessarily be, descriptive of the fossil insects taken from the wonder- 

 fully prolific locality, the Tertiary Lake Basin at Florissant, in Colorado — 

 more abundant in insect remains than any other known locality in the 

 world. It is thought that the first part of this work will be ready for 

 publication the coming year. 



The contributions to which we have refered in the several orders 

 have been descriptive, classificatory, historical, biological, histological. 

 anatomical and biographical. It would perhaps have been more satis- 

 factory if these several departments of study could have been separately 

 reviewed, but the time has not been found for such presentation. 



In consideration of the practical importance of economic investiga- 

 tions, will you permit me to direct your attention to some of the work 

 done in this direction, which has been given to us during the year: 



The Fourteenth Report on the Noxious and Beneficial Insects of Illi- 

 nois, by the State Entomologist, Prof. S. A. Forbes, is devoted to the 

 consideration of various insects infesting corn, wheat, grass, clover, the 

 maple, the elm, garden crops and orchards A valuable appendix to this 

 report is a general index to the first twelve Illinois reports — of the species 

 of insects alphabetically and systematically arranged, their food-plants, 

 and the remedies treated of. 



The Ri port of the Entomologist of the U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Prof C. V. Riley, for the year 1885, presents us with the latest in 

 formation upon progress in Silk Culture in the United States, an ex- 

 tended notice of Cicada septendecim, and notices o( recent injuries by five 



