198 WEST VIRGINIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



trip to Europe to study the natural enemies of destructive pine 

 and spruce insects. 



While the report is prepared mainly for the general reader, 

 and especially those interested in the spruce and pine resources 

 of the State, yet it contains some matter of a more or less 

 technical nature, intended for persons interested in natural his- 

 tory or systematic and economic entomology. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



I wish to acknowledge in this connection my obligations and 

 appreciation of the interest and encouragement extended dur- 

 ing the period 1890-1893 by members of the Board of Regents 

 of the University, and Station Committees, and the Director of 

 the Station, Dr, John A. Myers, to whom 1 am under special 

 obligations for the opportunity and facilities so liberally of- 

 fered for undertaking and successfully prosecuting the inves- 

 tigations ; also to my early associate in Station work, Dr. C. F. 

 Millspaugh, for advice and kind recommendations when the 

 work was commenced. 



It seems proper that I should make special mention in this 

 connection of persons in Europe to whom I am under oblig- 

 ations for the kindness, and valuable aid, so heartily extended 

 to me during the investigations in Europe and in carrying on 

 the experiments here. Of those who deserve special mention 

 for favors and assistances extended during my investigations in 

 Europe I would mention first the late Oberforester W. EichhofF, 

 of Strassburg, Germany, who was especially kind in providing 

 the necessary papers which gave me free access to the forests 

 of Alsace and Loraine, as well as introductions to the principal 

 forest officials ; also for valuable information and kind hospi- 

 tality, and many other favors which I remember with much 

 pleasure; to Director Camillo Schaufuss of the museum at 

 Meissen, Saxony, I am also under obligations for many person- 

 al favors and valuable assistance in the collection of insects, 

 as 1 am also to Oberforester Strahrneyer, his son, H. Strah- 

 meyer and Mr. E. Baldauf, of Hagenan, Alsace, who were ex- 

 ceedingly kind in offering every facility for the successful pro- 



