63 



From tbe time of the publicatiou of Dr. Fitch's last report, in 1872, 

 the State of Xew York did nothing for the encouragement of economic 

 entomology until 1881, when the legislature, on April 14, passed an act 

 to provide for the appointment of a State entomologist. The law reads 

 as follows : 



No, 316.] State of New York, 



In Senate, April 14, 1S81. 

 Introduced by Mr. Fowler; read twice and referred to the committee on finance; 

 reported favorably from said committee and committed to the committee of the 

 whole. 

 AN ACT to provide for the appointment of a State entomologist and fixing his compensation. 



The People of the State of Neiv York, represented in Senate and Aasemblii, do enact as 

 follows : 



Section 1. There shall be appointed by the governor a State entomologist, who 

 shall be charged with the study of insects injurious to agriculture and of methods 

 for controlling and preventing tlieir depredations. 



P. 2. The salary of the entomologist shall be two thousand dollars, and he shall 

 render an annual report of his labors and investigations to the legislature and shall 

 arrange for the State museum of natural history a collection of insects taken in the 

 course of his investigations. 



P. 3. This act shall take eft'ect immediately. 



(Senate, No. 316.) (1. 520, G. O. 391.) 



(Chap. 377 of the Laws of 1881. Passed May 26, 1881, three-fifths being present.) 



The movement which resulted in the passage of this law was started 

 by the regents of the University of the State of New York at their 

 annual meeting in 1877, and the person appointed to fill the office was 

 Dr. J. A. Lintner, a well-known worker in entomology, who, up to that 

 time, had been connected with the State Laboratory of Natural His- 

 tory. Dr. Lintner has held office continuously since 1881. He brought 

 to bear upon his duties a ripe experience and a mind trained in scien- 

 tific methods. He has published nine reports, the last one covering 

 the year 1892, and only recently distributed. These reports are in 

 many respects models. The great care and thoroughness of the author 

 have hardly been equaled by any other writer upon economic ento- 

 mology. The form of the reports is most admirable, and the account 

 of each insect forms almost invariably a complete compendium of our 

 knowledge concerning it down to the date of publication. His accounts 

 are also arranged in the most convenient form for reference, a full bib- 

 liography precedes the consideration of each species, and the frequent 

 subheadings enable the most practical use of the report. The reports 

 are replete with sound and ingenious practical suggestions, and are 

 written in a straightforward, simple style, which possesses great lit- 

 erary merit. They abound in illustrations, and are made available by 

 most complete indices and tables of contents. Aside from these reports. 

 Dr. Lintner has published a great deal in the newspapers, particularly 

 the Country Gentleman, on the subject of economic entomology, and 

 another valuable feature of his reports is the comprehensive list which 

 he publishes each year of his unofficial writings. 



