December, 1958 



Ross: Faunistic Surveys 



131 



The main faunistic activities of these 

 staff members concerned aquatic organisms 

 and insects associated with the develop- 

 ment of ecology and economic entomol- 

 og>". Forbes repeatedly mentions that the 

 most important tools of the biologist are 



roads traversed the state and these were 

 the only means of rapid travel. Collecting 

 was done intensively around a few head- 

 quarters, especially Urbana, Carbondale, 

 and Havana. On the Illinois River and 

 other waterways, boats were available 



Field party of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History at one of several collecting 

 --tations near Havana, 1894. This station was on the east shore of Thompson's Lake, which has 

 >ince been drained. In the picture are, left to right, Franlc Smith and Henry E. Summers, zoolo- 

 gists, Charles A. Hart, entomologist, and Miles Newberry, fisherman and boatman. 



a reference collection for the identifica- 

 tion of specimens and a scientific library. 

 -All staff members collected specimens as 

 part of their duties, and every effort was 

 made to obtain material from different 

 parts of the state and from areas of in- 

 terest in adjacent states. By 1894 the 

 collections were of sufficient magnitude 

 to be placed under the charge of a cura- 

 tor, C. A. Hart. In 1903 Hart became 

 Systematic Entomologist and Curator of 

 the insect collections, and R. E. Richard- 

 son was brought in to take charge of the 

 hsh collections. In 1915 J. R. Malloch 

 was appointed to assist Hart with the 

 insects. 



Collecting conditions from 1870 to 

 well into the 1900's were greatly dif- 

 ferent from those of todav. A few rail- 



for travel up and down the rivers. Local 

 travel was done bv horse-drawn vehicles. 

 As late as 1900 Forbes (1901:3, 5-6) 

 wrote of the Laboratory : 



Its field operations have been conducted mainly 

 from the Illinois Biological Station [at Ha- 

 vana and Meredosia] as a center, . . . 



Besides this local work on the fishes of the 

 State, two extensive wagon trips have been 

 provided for, one made in the fall of 1899, 

 and the other in progress at this date [Sep- 

 tember, 1900]. . . . 



A considerable number of collections have 

 a!?o been made by high school principals and 

 science teachers and sent to the Laboratory 

 in aid of this survey. 



Hart and his assistants traveled to 

 various points by train and in each town 

 set up headquarters in a local hotel or 

 rooming house, hired a buggy, and made 



