65 



reason to suppose to be infested by dangerous insects or in- 

 fected with contagious plant diseases. Power to quarantine, 

 and to issue directions for the treatment of diseased or infested 

 property, are likewise given him by this law, which is enforced 

 by the provision of fines for its violation. Although drawn 

 with special reference to nurseries and other horticultural prop- 

 erty, and with principal reference to the San Jose scale, I am ad- 

 vised by the Attorney General of the state that this law is broad 

 enough in its terms to enable the entomologist to interpose for 

 the protection of any property whatsoever endangered by in- 

 sects or fungus pests on adjoining premises. Minor modifi- 

 cations of the law were made at the last session of the legis- 

 lature, without affecting, however, the provisions just described. 



It was by this law of 1899 that the office of State Entomol- 

 ogist was first given a legal habitation and abiding place; 

 although upon the appointment of the present incumbent in 

 July, 1882, quarters had been assigned the office, by courtesy 

 of the State Board of Education, in the building of the State 

 Normal School at Normal, and on the transfer of the office 

 to the Illinois Industrial University two years later, it was, 

 by similar courtesy of the Trustees, adequately housed in one 

 of the university buildings. The preceding entomologists had, 

 however, been virtually without office accommodations, each mak- 

 ing such arrangements for himself as he found necessary, and 

 the location of the office shifted, consequently, with the resi- 

 dence of the entomologist. In Walsh's time it was at Rock 

 Island ; in LeBaron's, at Gene;va ; and in Thomas's, at Car- 

 bondale. 



The practical merger of the work of the entomologist with 

 that of the State Laboratory of Natural History in 1883, as 

 already described, greatly increased its facilities and opportuni- 

 ties for special work. At the time of this merger it had neither 

 appropriations for its expenses, nor a dollar's worth of prop- 

 erty of any description, its sole resources being the private 

 library and collections of the entomologist himself. From that 

 time forward, however, it had at its disposal the collections, 

 library, quarters, and assistants of the State Laboratory of 



