108 
If we receive a bulletin or some late literature on the habits of cer- 
tain insects represented in our collection, and we desire to know what 
our observations have been on the subject, we can quickly look it up, 
and at the same time enter a reference on the record or species card, to 
the literature in question. ° 
On the other hand, if information is desired regarding a specimen 
among the undetermined material that we suspect belongs to an iden- 
tified species, for instance, a small piece of bark or wood showing the 
larval mines of a bark beetle or wood borer, the accession number is, 
say, 4000. We turn to the accessions catalogue and find that the speci- 
men is the larval mine of accession number 4001, which was a larva 
that had been reared to adult. We find that the adult had been deter- 
mined and the check-list number entered in the space at the left of the 
note; thus, from any determined or undetermined fragment in the col- 
lections having reference to a determined species all available infor- 
mation regarding the species may be traced. 
In conelusion, I desire to say that I do not wish it understood that I 
claim all the principles of this system of taking and keeping notes and 
records as original. No doubt some such system is in use by many of 
you here, differing mainly in being adjusted to suit your convenience 
and the requirements of your respective duties. As adjusted to suit 
the convenience and requirements of my own work it does contain some 
original features, which, I trust, may be of interest to some of you who 
are engaged with me in exploring the broad field of hidden facts open 
to the economic entomologist; facts that must be discovered and re- 
corded in order to make our work more efficient. 
Every note and record of original observations truthfully and syste- 
matically recorded will add materially to the advancement of the science. 
What may seem at the time trivial may, if recorded, lead to important 
discoveries, or prove to be the connecting link in the chain of facts 
making up the knowledge of the complicated life history and habits of 
some serious pest of the farm or forest. 
Is it not important, therefore, in our life work that we not only 
make frequent entries in our notebooks, but that we keep our rec- 
ords of original observations and facts determined according to some 
well-defined plan that will enable us at any time to quickly trace up, 
for publication or other purpose all the facts we may have on a given 
species or subject, or in order that our successors may profit in finding 
our unpublished notes readily available? 
In discussing this paper Mr. Smith said that he did not approve of 
the use of check-list numbers alone, and thought the name of an insect, 
as far as known, should always be given. 
Mr. Osborn thought check lists should not be used. They are not 
available for all orders of insects. The names, he thought, should be — 
written out in notes when possible. . 
