42 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



wheat, and in- 1901 caused an estimated loss in New York State 

 alone of $3,000,000. The wheat midge in earlier years was also 

 exceedingly destructive to this important grain crop. During the 

 last decade another member of this family, the violet gall midge, 

 has become a dangerous enemy of the extensive violet-growing in- 

 dustry, which has its most important center at Rhinebeck, N. Y. 

 The members of this group are better known because of the many 

 remarkable vegetable deformities they produce, and the adult insects 

 present some extremely interesting morphologic variations. 

 Continued and thorough collecting of these forms has resulted 

 in the accumulation of a large amount of material. A recent cata- 

 logue lists less than 150 species as being native to North America, 

 whereas our recent work has resulted in finding in New York State 

 alone probably over 400 species, including therein representatives 

 of genera hitherto unrecognized in this country, and presumably of 

 others previously unknown. A clearer idea of the extent of our 

 work may possibly be gained from the following : Mr J. R. Gillett, 

 a medical student, was engaged during the entire summer in mak- 

 ing some 2000 excellent microscopic preparations of these insects. 

 These large additions to our collection will result in extremely 

 important contributions to our knowledge of this hitherto relatively 

 unknown group. The value of this work has been greatly increased 

 by the enthusiastic and intelligent collecting of Assistant Ento- 

 mologist Young and Assistant Nixon. 



Publications. The Entomologist has contributed numerous 

 economic articles to the agricultural and local press. The report 

 of the office for 1904, owing to delays, did not appear till early in 

 the fiscal year, and that for 1905 was not issued till September 1906. 

 A special bulletin giving a summary account of the gipsy and 

 brown tail moths [Mus. Bui. 103] was issued in midsummer and 

 the first volume of Insects Affecting Park and Woodland Trees 

 [N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 8] appeared in February. The proof- 

 reading and verification incident to the second volume going through 

 the press has made large demands upon our time and it is a pleas- 

 ure to state that this extensive work is now practically completed 

 and will appear within a few weeks. Another important paper 

 entitled Diversities among Nezv York Mosquitos was reprinted 

 from the Year Book for ipo^-TQOj of the American Mosquito Ex- 

 termination Society. 



Collections. Some exceptionally valuable additions have been 

 made to the State collections aside from those secured in prose- 



