PREFACE. 



OBJECT— The study of Nature's hand- 

 iwork is second only to the study of the 

 Creator of Nature. 



America is slowly awaking to the fact that 

 it is far wiser to know something- of the 

 world we inhabit, than it is to amass for- 

 tunes. When we were boys not a smglc 

 acquaintance could name a gixtn plant, bird, 

 mineral or insect. 



Books were scarce and very expensive 

 The boy of to-day has far greater oppor- 

 tunities. However, instead of calling his at- 

 tention to birds, (for that inevitably results 

 in killing the birds and robbing their nests) 

 we desire to introduce to him a Kingdom 

 whose study requires care, accuracy, neat- 

 ness and best of all close observation. 



OUTLINE. — In Europe Entomology is 

 taught in the public schools, consequently 

 text books are common and cheap. In 

 America, the Agricultural Colleges seem to 

 be the class most interested in this study. 

 It follows as a natural consequence that the 

 work of each is bounded by state lines. 



New Jersey (Prof. J. B. Smith) certainly 

 leads both as to quantity and quality of work 

 done. Prof Smith's revised list gives in the 

 order CoLEorTERA — 71 Families, 975 Genera 

 and 2845 Species, but it should be borne in 

 mind that N. J. is about seven times the size 

 of Rhode Island, also that Texas has 81 coun- 

 ties as large if not larger than our whole 

 state. 



It is our intention to reissue this check list 

 annually, adding cuts, data and description 

 as fast as it can be obtained, also to correct 

 errata. To do this at the least expense the 

 new Linotype machine is employed. 



