REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 15 



long by the barrier of language from the rest of the world that the great work 

 she has done is known only to a few of her nearest neighbours and to occasional 

 visitors from the West. 



Some of the first references to Russian insects in American literature are 

 found in the First and Second Reports of the U.S. Entomological Commission 

 relating to the Rocky Mountain Locust (I. pp. 437-475; II, pp. 35 "41), where 

 excellent accounts are given of the devastations caused by locusts in Russia; 

 also good descriptions of the habits and life-history of the Russian Migratory 

 Locust (taken mainly from Koppen's Memoirs). 



The work of Russian Entomologists was again brought to the attention 

 of American students through the introduction of the Gipsy Moth into New 

 England. It was there found that this insect had been a serious pest to forests 

 and orchards for many j^ears in southern Russia. In the well-known work of 

 Forbush and Fernald on "The Gypsy Moth" (189G) a good record is given of 

 the references to the economic works of Keppen, Rudsky, Porchinsky and Hula- 

 gin of the distribution and depredations of the Gypsy Moth. 



Later the Bureau of Entomology of the U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 sent experts to Russia in an effort to obtain parasites of the Gypsy and Brown 

 Tail Moths. In 1907 Dr. L. O. Howard visited Kiev, Odessa, Kishenev and the 

 Crimea, and got into touch with the eminent entomologists, Porchinsky, Pos- 

 pielov, Krassilstschik and Moktzhecky. In 1909 Prof. Trevor Kincaid went 

 to Russia and studied the situation at Kiskenev and Kiev; and Mr. W. F. Fiske 

 spent a few weeks in Kiev and Kharkov provinces in 1910. (Bull. 91, Bureau 

 of Entomology) . 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY 

 (Based on a Paper by Bogdanov Katkov given in 1923.) 



Up to the middle of the last century entomology in Russia was studied only by a few indivi- 

 duals, and many of those were fore eners. Among these may be noted K. Laxmann, P. C. Pallas 

 T. G. Girelin, T. Zzderhelm, T. A. Dvigoubsky, D. Goummel, G. T. Fisher, F. Faldermann, R. 

 G. Mannerhe m, E. A. Eversman, H. H. Steben, B. G. Besser, V. T. Motchoulsky, V. P. Zoub- 

 koff, A. D. Nordman, and T. F. Escholtz. About 1850 however an organization called the Russ an 

 Entomological Society, was formed but it was not until 1859 that the constitution of the Society 

 was dec ded. From t e beg nniiig ci its e 'iVlence this ^oc e y has given considerable attention to 

 economic and applied entomology, and during its first year a special committee of six persons was 

 appointed to deal with insect pests. In 1862 the committee with 1500 roubles at its disposal, 

 invited A. A. Koushakevitch to investigate locusts, T. U. Simasjko forest insects, chiefly bark 

 beetles in the province of Petersburg, and O. B. Bremer cutworms in the province of Kostroma. 

 In 1867 F. P. Kepper studied the Iccusts in the Crimea, and L. F. Rougsky the hessian fly and 

 the gypsy moth. Alter 1868 the special committee ceased to function, its work being taken over 

 by the secretaries of the Society who frequently sent its members to investigate the outbreaks. 



About 1876 owing to a series of severe insect outbreaks that occurred throughout the whole of 

 southern Russia, the local authorities were forced to demand help from the universities and the 

 Department of Agriculture, and to request the formation of entomological centres in Kharhov 

 and Odessa. As a result, the first "Entomological Commiss ons" were established, that at Khar- 

 hov in 1878 and that at Odessa in 1882. To the former belonged the noted scientists Metchnikoff 

 Zenhovsky, Yaroshevsky and Stepanoff. The work in Odessa was under the direction of Ya.vounin. 

 As the members were mostly university professors and instructors they could devote but a part of 

 their t me to the work. Much valuable work was done, however, and several conferences of ento- 

 mologists from eleven of the southern provinces were held. At the 7th conference at Odessa the 

 post of "regional entomologist" for the whole of south Russia was established and given to P. A 

 Sabarinsky. 



in 1892. when a very serious outbreak of Eurygastcr maurus destroyed about 60,000 

 acres of wheat in the Crimea, the local government decided to establish the post of "provincial 



