15 



with the study of ontomoloo-y, and the limited time i)revents their di.s- 

 cus.sion in detail. These publications, however, may be g-rouped as 

 follows: 



1. Popular l)rief accounts of individual insects or groups of insects 

 of economic importance. 



2. Monographic accounts of individual insects or groups of insects 

 of economic importance. 



3. Technical bulletins. 



There are a number of advantages and some disadvantages in the use 

 of bulletins as a medium for rendering information available. These 

 publications are not so permanent in character and unless carefull}" 

 bound hy the recipient are liable to be lost or even worn out b}^ con- 

 stant use. On the other hand, the bulletin usually permits a much 

 more prompt publication than is possible with the annual report and 

 in addition allows a much more elastic grouping of matter. This of 

 itself is of considerable value, particularly when pul)lications arc used, 

 as many of us do use them, to answer queries in regard to this or that 

 insect. If Ave have a bulletin treating only of the species involved, it 

 will usually answer every question, while if we send a report, which 

 may include accounts of a number of other insects, the treatment of 

 the one under consideration may or may not be full enough to answer 

 the requirements of the case; and an additional disadvantage in send- 

 ing reports is that w^e maj^ be obliged to transmit a mass of matter 

 which has comparatively little or no interest to the recipient. The 

 bulletin is therefore desirable whenever we wish to pu])lish prompt!}^ 

 and economically. 



It is very difficult to define the scope and character of the popular 

 bulletin. Generally speaking, it should be brief, concise, and contain 

 very little more information than is necessary for the j^ractical fruit 

 grower or horticulturist who wishes to control the species in question 

 in an intelligent manner. This means that man}' details, which are of 

 considerable value to the s3^stematic student and the biologist, nuist be 

 rigidly excluded. These brief popular bulletins may, as previousl}^ 

 mentioned, treat not only of one insect but of an economic group, and 

 it seems to the speaker that the latter in the long run are bound to be 

 more successful and l)eneticial. He has been informed, for example, 

 that the excellent publication on Household Insects, Bulletin No. 4 

 (new series). Division of Entomology, United States Department of 

 Agriculture, is ver}^ popular and that the demand for it is simplj'^ 

 enormous. 



Theie is another form of the brief popular bulletin which is exceed- 

 ingly well represented in the circulars issued by the Division of Ento- 

 mology. These, as we all know, are very brief accounts of individual 

 species and are exceedingly useful in answering queries from time to 

 time. Such circulars are abridged from fuller accounts, and this 



