THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. • 5 



anxious deliberation in the closet. Hence, the wisdom of having a 

 State officer who can devote his whole time to the work. 



Fully aware that I write for those who, as a rule, are unversed in En- 

 tomology, I have endeavored to treat of each insect with as little of the 

 nomenclature of science as is consistent with clearness of expression. 

 Yet, as much that is of scientific interest, such as descriptions of new 

 species, must necessarily be inserted, I have had such descriptions 

 printed in a type of smaller size- than the text, so that it can be 

 skipped if desirable, at the time of reading, and easily referred to for 

 comparison, with specimens which one is desirous of naming. I have 

 also endeavored to illustrate, as far as possible, the insects of which 

 this report treats, believing that good illustration forms the basis of 

 successful teaching in a science with which the general husbandman 

 is not expected to be acquainted ; for the eye conveys to the mind, in 

 an instant, what the ear would fail to do in an hour. The practical 

 man cares little to what genus or family an insect belongs, so long as 

 he can tell whether it be friend or foe. He must become familiarized 

 with the insects about him without having necessarily to overcome 

 scientific detail and technicality. 



I have made no effort at a systematic arrangement of the insects 

 treated of. Indeed, that were useless for the purpose in view ; but in 

 order that the reader may refer the more readily to any particular 

 insect which interests him, I have separated them into three series — 

 Noxious, Beneficial and Innoxious — and attached a very full index. 

 For the benefit of those who are making a study of Entomology, I 

 have also given, with each species, the order and family to which it 

 belongs, in parenthesis under each heading. 



So far as possible, I have used a common name for each insect, 

 knowing that the scientific name is remembered with greater 

 difficulty, and is, consequently, distasteful to many. But as popular 

 names are very loosely applied, and the same name often refers to 

 different insects in different localities, a great deal of confusion would 

 ensue without the scientific name, which is, therefore, invariably added 

 for the most part in parenthesis, so that it may be skipped without in- 

 terfering in any way with the sense of the text. 



The sign d* wherever used in this report, is an abbreviation for 

 the word male, the sign ? for female and the sigc ? for neuter. 



Wherever the illustrations are enlarged, they are accompanied by 

 hair-lines, which designate their natural size. 



Where the measurement of an insect is given, the dimensions are 

 expressed in inches and the fractional parts of an inch, 0.25, thus im- 

 plying a quarter of an inch, and 1.25 one inch and a quarter, etc. 



Many letters were addressed to me, during the summer, inquiring 

 as to the value of the new carbolic acid, which has been so much 

 spoken of. Having fully experimented with it during the summer, I 

 am well pleased with it as an insect destroyer. But a word of warn- 

 ing in its use is necessary. It is also known by the name of cresylic 



