2 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



The preservation of our forests and of old and valued shade trees in 

 our cities and towns is a subject of pressing importance, and it is to be 

 hoped that the Government will foster private work and research in this 

 direction. Next to the wanton destruction of forests by unthinking 

 settlers and shiftless land owners, as well as by tires caused by the sparks 

 of locomotives, the attacks of injurious insects are most widespread and 

 far reaching. Our forest and shade trees are yearly growing more 

 valuable and indispensable, and at the same time the ravages of in- 

 sects are becoming more widespread and noticeable. The diffusion of 

 a moderate amount of information upon the subject at the present time 

 will attract the notice of the public and lead owners of land to pay a 

 little attention to the subject and do something towards checking the 

 ravages of noxious insects. 



In France and Ge.rmany private persons, entomologists such as Fer- 

 ris in France, and especially Ratzeburg in Germany, have published 

 beautifully illustrated general works of very great interest and value 

 upon forest inserts, and their books have done immense service in those 

 countries, where an enlightened government and an intelligent people 

 have felt the importance of building up schools cf forestry and of 

 making laws compelling due efforts towards repressing the more injuri- 

 ous forest insects. 



Kaltenbach, in his work entitled " Die Pflanzenfeiude aus der Klasse 

 der Insekten," or the Insect-enemies of Plants, has enumerated, in a 

 closely-printed volume of 848 pages, the species of insects preying upon 

 the different trees and plants, of all sorts, of central Europe. The num- 

 ber of insects found upon some kinds of forest trees is astonishing, 

 though it is to be remembered that all kinds are not equally destructive, 

 the most injurious and deadly forms being comparatively few. 



Kaltenbach enumerates 537 species of insects injurious to the oak, 

 and 107 obnoxious to the elm. The poplars afford a livelihood to 264 

 kinds of insects; the willows yield food to 396 species ; the birches har- 

 bor 270 species; the alder, 119; the beech, 154; the hazelnut, 97, and 

 the hornbeam, 88. Coming to the coniferous trees, as the pine, spruce, 

 larch, firs, etc., the junipers supply 33 species, while upon the pines, 

 larch, spruce, and firs, collectively, prey 299 species of insects. In 

 France Ferris has observed over one hundred species either injurious 

 to, or living upon without being especially injurious to, the maritime 

 pine. These are described in an octavo volume of 532 pages, with 

 numerous plates. 



The number as yet known to attack the different kinds of trees in the 

 United States may be seen by reference to the following i)ages. It is 

 sufficiently large to excite great fears for the future prosperity of our 

 diminished forests, unless the Government interposes, and through the 

 proper channels fosters entomological research in this direction. Our 

 forests, moreover, are much richer in species of trees than those of Eu- 

 rope. We have, without doubt, on the trees corresponding to those of 



