SYNOPSIS OF PROCEEDINGS. 345 



entomologist of Missouri. He was appointed to this place when about 

 twenty-five and held it for nine years. The annual reports covering 

 this period contain a great mass of practical and scientific informa- 

 tion and show the most acute power of observation combined with a 

 quick appreciation of what would be of real value to the agriculturist. 

 This latter characteristic of Dr. Riley must be due in no small part to 

 his actual experience as a farmer. His ability as an artist is shown in 

 the illustrations of these reports, for he furnished his own drawings. 

 Some of these figures are to be found to-day in almost every Ameri- 

 can work on economic entomology published since they appeared. 

 The nine volumes still form an essential part of the library of every 

 worker on the life-histories or economic importance of insects. 



With the formation of the United States Entomological Commis- 

 sion, Dr. Riley was placed at the head of that body which carried on 

 researches into the habits of and methods of combatting some of the 

 greatest insect plagues with which man has had to struggle. Five ex- 

 tensive and valuable reports have been published, the first, 

 for 1877, treating of the Rocky Mountain locust; the sec- 

 ond, following two years later, with an additional account of the same 

 scourge. The third relates some further observations of the locust 

 and contains also impoitant treatises on several other pests. The 

 fourth is occupied by a careful treatment of the cotton and boll worms, 

 while the fifth deals with the insect enemies of forest and shade trees. 

 A number of bulletins were also issued by the commission. 



Dr. Riley also edited, in connection with Prof. B. D. Walsh and 

 Dr. George Vasey, the American Entomologist, which, after two years 

 of usefulness, was allowed to drop for a decade, but was revived in 

 iS&o for another volume, after which it was discontinued. Here, as 

 elsewhere, the practical side of the study of insects received the chief 

 share of attention. 



His connection with the entomological commission did not hinder 

 Dr. Riley in the acceptance of new responsibilities and the perform- 

 ance of other duties. Leaving his Missouri position he accepted, in 

 1876, the post of entomologist to the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture; and the report for that year is from his pen, though he 

 shortly resigned the place. Three years later the Division of Entomol- 

 ogy was created with Dr. Riley at the head, and this has given to the 

 public each year a report of the principal pests observed, and in addi- 

 tion has published a series of thirty-two bulletins on various subjects 

 connected with insect injuries, besides a number of separate papers and 

 several volumes of Insect Life — the whole forming an almost perfect 

 history of the advance of economic entomology during these years. 



One of his achievements which has attracted a great deal of public 

 attention and has been productive of great good, is the introduction 

 into this country of the native Australian enemies of the "Fluted 

 Scale " or Icerya, which at one time threatened the very existence of the 

 orange industry in California. As early as 1886 Dr. Riley became 

 convinced of the advisability of the importation of the parasites of the 



