INTRODUCTION. 



[Tliirrt Report.] 



To His Excellency, John L. BevekldgtE, 



Governor of the St((fc of Illinois: 



Sir — I herowitli submit iny third aiiunal report npou the insects, iu- 

 juriou.s and otherwise, of the State of Illinois. 



It will be seen that in a part of this rei>ort I have stepped aside from 

 the ordinary form of entomological reports of this kind, for the purpose 

 of giving- assistance to the young people of this State and others who 

 are taking an interest in this subject, in its scientific as well as its prac- 

 tical relations. I have been induced to take this course by the following 

 considerations : 



In the original enactment by which the office of State Entomologist 

 was created in this State, it was made the duty of the incumbent to 

 make an annual report upon the insects of the State, especially those 

 injurious to the agriculturist, and also to nmke a general collection of 

 the insects of the State, to be dei)osited at the Industrial University. 

 As the great majority of insects are not injurious to mankind, and as a 

 general collection of insects is- merely a i^retty but useless show, unless 

 something is known of their habits and classification, it may be inferred 

 that, in requiring such a collection to be made, the founders of this of- 

 fice took an enlarged view of the subject, and had an eye to the advance- 

 ment of the scientific as well as the more directly practical interests of 

 the State. 



By a recent enactment of the General Assembly of this State, it is re- 

 quired that the study of natural history shall be made a branch of the 

 popular education. Of the great number of young people who will thus 

 be induced to direct their attention to this subject, there must be a con- 

 siderable number whose tastes will lead them to prosecute the study to 

 a greater or less extent. This class of students will not be satisfied with 

 the sii])erlicial knowledge which they may be able to obtain fi'om thein- 

 striR'tioiis of teachers, most of whom cannot be expected to have made 

 a s]»ecial study of the natural sciences. Especially must this be true of 



