4 PREFACE. 



anticipated; you will not be surprised to learn that several subjects 

 which I had contemplated treating of, have been unavoidably de- 

 ferred another year. 



In order to make the sense of the text plain to every reader, and 

 at the same time to insure scientific accuracy, I shall continue to con- 

 form to the rules laid down in the introduction to my First Report — 

 namely, to print all descriptions of merely scientific interest in small 

 type ; to use as far as possible a common name for each insect, always 

 adding the scientific appellation in italics and parenthesis, so that it 

 can be skipped, if necessary, without interfering in the least with the 

 sense of the sentence ; and to give the Order and Family to which 

 each insect belongs, in parenthesis under each heading. 



The reader will also bear in mind that the dimensions given, are 

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

 plying a quarter of an inch ; and that the sign <y is an abbreviation 

 for the word male,the sign ? for female, and the sign 9 tor neuter. 



My grateful acknowledgments are due to the Superintendents 

 of the Missouri Pacific, South Pacific, Iron Mountain, Hannibal and 

 St. Joseph, North Missouri, and Illinois Central Railroads for free 

 passes over their respective routes. 



All which is respectfully submitted by 



CHARLES V. RILEY, 



State Entomologist. 



St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 2, 1869. 



