42 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
wheat, and in 1901 caused an estimated loss in New York State 
alone of $3,000,000. The wheat midge in earlier years was also 
exceedingly destructive to this important grain crop. During the 
last decade another member of this family, the violet gall midge, 
has become a dangerous enemy of the extensive violet-growing in- 
dustry, which has its most important center at Rhinebeck, N. Y. 
The members of this group are better known because of the many 
remarkable vegetable deformities they produce, and the adult insects 
present some extremely interesting morphologic variations. 
Continued and thorough collecting of these forms has resulted 
in the accumulation of a large amount of material. A recent cata- 
logue lists less than 150 species as being native to North America, 
whereas our recent work has resulted in finding in New York State 
alone probably over 400 species, including therein representatives 
of genera hitherto unrecognized in this country, and presumably of 
others previously unknown. A clearer idea of the extent of our 
work may possibly be gained from the following: Mr J. R. Gillett, 
a medical student, was engaged during the entire summer in mak- 
ing some 2000 excellent microscopic preparations of these insects. 
These large additions to our collection will result in extremely 
important contributions to our knowledge of this hitherto relatively 
unknown group. The value of this work has been greatly increased 
by the enthusiastic and intelligent collecting of Assistant Ento- 
mologist Young and Assistant Nixon. 
Publications. The Entomologist has contributed numerous 
economic articles to the agricultural and local press. The report 
of the office for 1904, owing to delays, did not appear till early in 
the fiscal year, and that for 1995 was not issved till September 1906. 
A special bulletin giving a summary account of the gipsy ant 
brown tail moths [Mus. Bul. 103] was issued in midsummer and 
the first volume of /nsects Affecting Park and Woodland Trees 
[N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 8] appeared in February. The proof- 
reading and verification incident to the second voluine going through 
the press has made large demands upon our time and it is a pleas- 

ure to state that this extensive work is now practically completed 
and will appear within a few weeks. Another important paper 
entitled Diversities among New York Mosquitos was reprinted 
from the Year Book for 1904-1905 of the American Mosquito Ex- 
termination Society. 
Collections. Some exceptionally valuable additions have been 
made to the State collections aside from those secured in prose- 
