82 [Assembly 



While it is undoubtedly true that insect injuries are annually 

 increasing with us, through the stimulation of insect fecundity 

 through special crops cultivated in larger and larger areas — in the 

 introduction from abroad of European pests of bad reputation, and 

 the acquisition of newliabits of feeding and new food-plants by our 

 native species — yet no inconsiderable part of this apparent increase 

 must be chargeable to the greater attention now being given to 

 insect attacks, before unnoticed. They are no longer accepted as 

 evils that must be borne, but the intelligent farmer recognizes them 

 as invasions that should be repelled if possible — that experience has 

 shown may be successfully repelled, and are, therefore, to be met with 

 the best possible means of resistance. If the enemy presents him- 

 self in a new form, then aid is to be sought of those competent to 

 give advice and direction. 



It has been my pleasure as it has been my duty, to make faithful 

 examination during the past year of the many forms of insect attack 

 to which my attention has been called, and to return the best advice 

 that I was prepared to oiier. Some of them have been quite new 

 and of unusual interest to me. So numerous have been these calls 

 that I am never left Avithout some special subject of investigation, 

 and in but few instances has the time at my command sufficed for 

 the study that their importance seemed to demand. If, therefore, 

 the replies from this department are not always as satisfactory as 

 may be desired, they are the best that the Entomologist, unaided by 

 assistants, under the pressure of his duties, is able to return. 



A few of the insect attacks that have come under my notice dur- 

 ing the year, and personal observations made, are presented in the 

 following pages. A number of others, including some of the more 

 interesting ones which would require considerable labor in their prep- 

 aration, would have been introduced, but for the time that has been 

 demanded in the supervision of the printing of the Second Report 

 of the Entomologist to the Legislature, during the close of the year. 

 This report had unavoidably been long delayed, and it seemed of 

 great importance that it should be issued as soon as it was practica- 

 ble to do so. It has been printed as a State document, and the 

 edition ordered for the Legislature awaits the completion of the 

 index. 



The readiness of the Legislature to order as laro;e editions of the 

 reports of the Entomologist as it has been thought proper to ask for, 

 may properly be regarded as an evidence of appreciation of the work 

 of this department, by the representatives of the people of the State. 

 Of the first report, a second edition was ordered by the last Legisla- 

 ture for its use, which has during the year been printed and dis- 

 tributed to the members. The edition ordered of the second report, 

 although conspicuously larger than several other of the reports is- 

 sued by State authority, is still very far short of affording the means 

 of placing a copy in the hands of many of those for whose interests 

 it was specially prepared, and to whom it could not fail of being ser- 

 viceable. Were the distribution of the entire edition limited to the 

 State of New York, and confined to those engaged in farming pur- 



