10 
however, and if the weather and other conditions should be favor- 
able to its development during the coming season, it may occasion 
trouble. 
The Angoumois grain-moth (Gelechia cerealella) has also met 
with a decided reverse, evidently owing to the rapid multiplication 
of a newly discovered enemy of the species described in the article 
on this insect, published in my last report. 
An outbreak of the wheat bulb-worm (Meromyza americana) was 
locally exceedingly damaging to wheat in Fulton county, causing 
the complete destruction of a few fields, and very considerable in- 
jury to a number of others. 
In extreme Southern Illinois, the forest tent-caterpillar (Clistocampa 
sylvatica) made a, frightful inroad upon the apple orchard, abso- 
lutely defoliating every tree in large districts. It also did great 
mischief to many forest trees. Its injuries to fruit might have been 
almost wholly prevented, either by destroying the eggs upon the 
twigs of the trees in autumn, as was successfully done by many, or 
by spraying the foliage of infested trees in spring with Paris green, 
or other similar poison. 
Great numbers of these caterpillars were killed by a contagious 
disease, which swept them off just as they were ready to transform 
to the chrysalis; but vast quantities of the eggs are now upon the 
trees ready to hatch in spring. 
In southern strawberry fields, very serious loss was occasioned by 
the tarnished plant-bug (Lygus lineolaris), which I have demon- 
strated to be at least a part of the cause of the damage known as 
the “‘buttoning’ of the berry. The dusky plant-bug (Dereocoris 
rapidus) worked upon the strawberries in precisely the same man- 
ner and at the same time, being in some fields scarcely less abund- 
ant than the other. 
The season has been further characterized, to the economic ento- 
mologist, by the appearance of several more or less virulent con- 
tagious diseases among caterpillars and other insects, the HKuropean 
cabbage worm especially having suffered quite beyond example, over 
large areas, from this cause. It is difficult to believe that this pest 
can be as injurious next year in this region, as for several years 
past. 
ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE. 
Although the laws relating to the Entomologist’s office in this 
State make no provision, direct or indirect, for any assistance what- 
ever to that officer, he being theoretically required to do even the 
simplest routine and mechanical parts of his work with his own 
hands, the affiliation of the operations of this office with those of 
the State Laboratory of Natural History, at Normal, has made it 
possible and proper for me to use the resources of the Laboratory 
and the services of its assistants for work in economic entomology, 
where this could be done with advantage to all concerned. 
I have consequently made much use of the two or three entomo- 
logical assistants, both for field and laboratory work; the general 
