Ixiii 



Economic Entomology. 



The necessity for the thoughtful and thorough investigation 

 of the economy of the various species of noxious and beneficial 

 insects has been fully recognized in North America, as shown by 

 the judicious appointment of " State Entomologists" in some of 

 the States. These gentlemen are required to furnish annual 

 reports to their respective Governments, and the " Fourth Annual 

 Eeport on the Noxious, Beneficial and other Insects of the State 

 of Missouri, made to the State Board of Agriculture, pursuant to 

 an appropriation for that purpose from the Legislature of the 

 State, by Charles V. Riley, State Entomologist (8vo. 1872), 

 Jefferson City, Mo." is now before me, and comprises 150 closely- 

 printed pages, illustrated with a considerable number of very 

 excellent woodcuts. We here see the good results of Mr. Riley's 

 visit to Europe during 1871, especially in that part of his Report 

 in which he treats, at great length, on the economy and history 

 of the Phylloxera of the vine, with an excellent practical account 

 of the susceptibility of the various varieties of the vine grown in 

 America to the attacks of the Phylloxera, either on the roots or 

 leaves of the plant. 



The importance of the silkworm culture in North America is 

 also shown by Mr. Riley, in his fourth Report above noticed, by 

 the large space devoted to the history of the different large 

 species of Bombycidse which are used for the purpose of obtaining 

 silk in the States. These are B. Mori, Cecropia, Cynthia, Pro- 

 methea, Luna, Polyphemus, Yama-Mai and Pernyi. 



Other injurious insects are described, including the Doryphora 

 of the potato, the codling moth, the Colaspis of the grape vine, 

 the Pentatoma of the cabbage, Passalus cornutus, Bostrichus 

 bicaudatus, together with a number of Tortricidee and Tineidse. 



In our own country the Horticultural Society of London has 

 again evinced a desire to further the investigation of the habits 

 of obnoxious insects, by instituting "Prizes for Collections of 

 Economic Entomology, in 1873," of which the following is a 

 programme: — 



" The Royal Horticultural Society offers the following prizes : — £10 for 

 a collection of British insects injurious to some one order of plants used for 

 food — as Cruciferae, Leguminosae, or Corn ; the Order may be selected by 

 the competitor. £3 for a miscellaneous collection of British insects injurious 



