8 INTJRODUCTION. 



In order to be able to avail ourselves of the knowledoje accumu- 

 lated by others, concerning the habits of our noxious insects, and 

 the methods of counteracting their ravages, the first step is to 

 identify with certainty, the species which we may have in hand. 

 For this purpose, it is necessary to refer to some living authority, 

 or to a correctly named cabinet, or to plates, or to well written 

 descriptions. 



Next to consulting some well informed entomologist, the surest 

 way to identify an insect, is to compare it with the specimens in 

 a well preserved and correctly named cabinet. With this end in 

 view, it would be well for those whose pursuits render some 

 knowledge of noxious insects especially important, to make pri. 

 vate collections of their own. But as this is hardly to be expected, 

 except in a few isolated cases, it becomes the more important that 

 every horticultural society should have a well arranged collection 

 of noxious insects, both in larva and perfect states, located at 

 some central point where it would be easily accessible to its mem- 

 bers, and others interested. But as such collections, also, will be 

 most likely to be either wholly neglected or imperfectly prepared, 

 we can understand the paramount necessity of having, at least, 

 one if not more large cabinets in the State which may serve the pur- 

 poses of ultimate resort. It was a pervading consciousness.of this 

 kind, no doubt, which produced so general a desire, on the part 

 of intelhgent men throughout the State, that the large and val- 

 uable collection of insects left by my predecessor in office, Mr. 

 B. D. Walsh, of Eock Island, should be secured as the perma- 

 nent property of the State. Soon after ray appointment to the 

 office of State Entomologist was publicly announced, I received 

 communications from several persons of influence, and amougst 

 others, Mr. W. 0. Flagg, President of the. Illinois Horticultural 

 Society, calling my attention to this matter, and expressing the 

 wish that this cabinet might be secured to the State. Mr. Flagg 

 stated that he had already had two interviews with Gov. Palmer, 

 in which this matter formed a principal topic of discussion, and 

 that the Governor expressed his willingness to take any steps 

 which might be necessary for the attainment of this end. Ac- 

 cordingly, as soon as it was determined that there would be a bal- 

 ance of the contingent fund at his disposal sufficient for the pur- 



