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efforts more or less aggressive measures have been made possible. At 

 the present time a proposition is on foot to establish an organization 

 under the Ministry of Public Lands similar to the Division of Entomol- 

 ogy in our own Department of Agriculture. Up to the present time 

 the authorities having the public lands in charge, both of the Central 

 Government and the several provinces, have accomplished the result in 

 the following way: Competent scientific men and specialists have been 

 requested to prepare i)nblications on injnrious insects, and where these 

 individuals have desired pecuniary aid to enable them to publish inde- 

 pendent observations in this line the funds have been granted. As an 

 example of this, the large three-volume work of Theo. Kiippen was 

 published in this manner during tlie eighties. In addition, eflScient 

 specialists have been sent out by the central department to conduct at 

 certain points series of observations upon the life histories and habits 

 of injurious species. These investigations have been in part at the 

 expense of the General Government and in part at the expense of the 

 authorities of certain sections, and at the request of the governors of 

 provinces and scientific and agricultural societies. The reports obtained 

 from these different sources have been published and distributed to all 

 those interested. In this manner a large number of the most injurious 

 insects have been successfully studied, and many unknown facts in 

 their life histories have been brought out. Among these investiga- 

 tions may be especially mentioned one conducted in 1879 on the life 

 history and habits of Anisoplia anstriacaj by Lindeman, Portschinsky, 

 Tarochewsky, and Metschuikoff, and incidentally to this the damage 

 done by Cephus pygmceus and Cecidomyia destructor was studied by 

 Portschinsky and Lindemann, and a series of special bulletins pub- 

 lished bearing upon these two insects. In 1880 Chlorops tceniopus and 

 Plnsia gamma were studied by the same observers, and at the same 

 time a voluminous report was i^repared treating of the insects injnri- 

 ous to the culture of sugar beets in the districts Woronesch, Kharkow, 

 Kursk, and Podolia. Among the more important insects studied was 

 Cleonns punctiventris, the natural history of which was incompletely 

 known at the time. In the same year two of the joint- worms, known 

 as Isosoma noxiale and I. hordeij were studied by Portschinsky. Dur- 

 ing the years following investigations were conducted in other prov- 

 inces upon Hydrcecia nictitans and Chcetocnema hortensis by Philipjew, 

 while still later tobacco insects were studied in the province of Bes- 

 sarabia, particular attention being paid to Thrips solanacearum. At the 

 same time observations were made by Koppen upon injurious locusts 

 and a few other insects in the country of the Don Cossacks. In 1891 

 an important general work treating of the insects injurious to Russian 

 agriculture was published. Investigations relative to insects injurious 

 to gardens were undertaken throughout the greater part of south- 

 eastern Russia, in some of the central districts, in the Caucasus, Bes- 

 sarabia, and part of Turkestan. Thorough investigations have also 



