INTRODUCTORY. 



To Executive Committee of the Illinois State Horticultural Society: 



Gentlemen : — I present herewith, for publication in your Trans- 

 actions, my first Annual Report as Acting State Entomologist. 



What business I have to assume that title,I may be allowed briefly 

 to explain to the people of Illinois, before I proceed to the discussion 

 of subjects more immediately connected with the Report itself. 



The Legislature of Illinois, as you are aware, at the close of the 

 Regular Session in the winter of 1866 — 7, passed a law which enacts 

 that a State Entomologist shall, by and with the consent of the Senate, 

 be appointed by the Governor, with a salary of $2,000 per annum, and 

 for a period of two years and until his successor is appointed and 

 qualified. Owing probably to the late day at which this Act wa^. 

 passed by the Legislature, (Feb. 37th, 1867,) the Governor made no 

 appointment at this session. 



On May 31, 1867 — having in a previous resolution requested the? 

 Governor to appoint me State Entomologist in order that . I might 

 immediately enter upon the duties of that office — ^you passed the fol- 

 lowing resolution : 



'"That the President of the Society be authorized to engage Benj. D. 

 Walsh to immediately commence entomological investigations in relation to 

 horticulture; and be empowered to pay out for that purpose a sum not ex- 

 ceeding $500 from the Legislative appropriation. This action is taken in case 

 of a failure to appoint."' 



Having been duly notified on May 23d, by the President of your 

 Society, of this most gratifying action on your part, and tendered the 

 full amount of $500 in case I performed the duties specified in the 

 Resolution, I accepted with thanks the offer so liberally made me, in a 

 letter addressed to your President and bearing date May 25th, 1867. 



In the meantime the Governor had called a Special Session of the 

 Legislature to meet June 11th, 1867. During this Session he pre- 

 sented my name to the Senate as his appointee for State Entomologist, 

 along with the names of several gentlemen as his appointees on cer- 

 tain political Commissions. In all these cases the Senate took the 

 ground, that they had no constitutional right to act upon such ap- 

 pointments at a Special Session, called for certain specified objects of 

 which such appointments formed no part; and they therefore post- 

 poned all further consideration of all these appointments till the next 

 Regular Biennial Session to be held in the winter of 1868 — 9. 



