PEKFACB. ▼" 



infiect pefitfi in this conntrv haB taken place: correfipondence alfio 

 on entomological subjects continues fully up to amount of pre- 

 vious years, with the heads of departments in our own Colonie« 

 and on the Continent of Europe. 



But now, although with much regret, I am obliged to say that I 

 feel the time has come for discontinuing this series of Annual Rejxtrt*. 



When I commenced the work in 1877 comparatively little 

 was known of the habits and means of prevention of insects 

 seriously injurious to our crops, and of this little a very small 

 amount was accessible for public service, and I undertook the 

 series of Reports in the hope Tso far as in my power layj of doing 

 something to meet both these difficulties. Firstly, by endeavouring 

 to gain reliable information of the kind needed : and secondly, 

 by publishing this, with all requisite additions, and especially 

 with illustrations, at a price far below the publication expenses, 

 BO that it might be accessible to all who wished to purchase, but 

 especially by sending a copy of each Annual Report to each 

 contributor who had favoured me with useful information. It 

 seemed to be but right and fair that those who kindly helped in the 

 work should have their courtesy acknowledged to the best of my 

 power, and I have continued the re<;iprocation throughout. 



But the work was hard ; for many years for about five or six 

 months all the time I could give to the subject was devoted to 

 arranging the contributions of the season for the Annual Report 

 of the year, with addition of the best information I eould procure 

 from other sources (in every case, whether of contri]>utors or 

 otherwise, fully acknowledged). As the consultation enquiries 

 were kept up during winter as well as eummer, I found the work, 

 carried on single-handed without the help of a staff, at times 

 very fatiguing. But so long as there appeared to be a call for it, 

 I have tried to do what I could. 



Now, however, the necessities of the case have (as matter of 

 course ) been gradually changing. Year after year information 

 has been sent, gradually completing most of the histories of most 

 of our worst insect pests, and now additional information is 

 rarely (as is to be expected after twenty-four years' observations,) 

 on points of great agricultural importance. 



I claim no credit to myself in the work ; but th(»e who will 

 look over the names of the contributors given with their infor- 



