l82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



The United States Entomologist.— We have received, with extreme regret, 

 a notice of the resignation of Dr. C. V. Riley of his position as United 

 States Entomologist to take effect June i, 1894. After that date Dr. 

 Riley's address will be at the U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. 



Of Dr. Riley's service in the cause of Economic Entomology we need 

 say nothing. His published works speak for him better than anything 

 else. In his resignation the Department will sustain a loss, the extent of 

 which it is impossible to state at present. As Dr. Riley is fortunately still 

 among the living we cannot say as much of praise as we might under 

 other circumstances; but we are not sure that the Department's loss will 

 not be Dr. Riley's gain. The demands upon the official time of the head 

 of the Department of Entomology are so great and are so constantly 

 increasing that it becomes difficult to obtain opportunity for other than 

 mere routine work. The cares and worries of official position, the ques- 

 tion of appropriations, of expenditures and red tape generally, is not 

 favorable to the production of the clearest and best scientific thought, and 

 in resigning from the Department to retire among the quieter shades of 

 the National Museum, Dr. RUey has perhaps adopted a course which will 

 be beneficial to his health, while enabling him at the same time to arrange 

 and systematize some of the immense masses of notes and material which 

 he has accumulated during the many years of his active career. While, 

 therefore, we regret Dr. Riley's resignation as Entomologist, deeming no 

 one within our knowledge quite so fit for the position as he, we are not 

 without hope that his successor will be a man whp is not unacquainted 

 with Dr. Riley's methods of work, and who will be able to profit by his 

 experience, and perhaps also by his advice in the future. It is desirable 

 that the man to fill this position should be one who has the general respect 

 of the entomologists of the United States, perhaps I should say the world. 

 More than in any other lines the United States Entomologist is looked 

 upon as representing Entomology in the United States. During Dr. 

 Riley's administration his Department has become to be considered as 

 the American center, and to this application is made by entomologists 

 from all portions of the world. Indeed, I may say that a most liberal 

 use of the Department and of the United States Entomologist is made 

 by the entomologists of this country, and particularly those holding offi- 

 cial positions at the Experiment Stations. In filling this position merit 

 only should be looked to and politics should not receive consideration 

 for an instant. 



The San Jose Scale. — Under date of April 4, 1894, the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, issued circular No. 

 3, second series, with information concerning the character and spread of 



