REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I906 43 



cuting the special investigations mentioned above. A very fine 

 collection of parasitic wasps (Chrysididae) was received from A. 

 Mocsary, Budapest, Hungary, and a valuable addition to our 

 Tachina flies from Dr Mario Bezzi of Italy. Some exceedingly 

 desirable mosquitos from the south and southwestern part of this 

 country, from Jamaica and the Philippine Islands were obtained 

 through various correspondents of the office. 



The special collections made by the members of the ofiflce staff 

 in the Cecidomyiidae, mentioned above, have resulted in enormous 

 additions to this group. The work upon the State collections has 

 continued with unabated vigor and the general condition of the 

 collections has been much improved, particularly in the families 

 Ortalidae, Trypetidae, Dolichopodidae and Ephydridae. The rep- 

 resentatives of the latter groups have been determined by Assistant 

 Entomologist Young. The midges (Chironomidae) have received 

 considerable study at the hands of Assistant I. L. Nixon, who has 

 also devoted much time to the general arrangement and classifica- 

 tion of the Coleoptera. 



Office work. The general v^ork of the office has been con- 

 ducted about as in preceding years, the Assistant Entomologist 

 taking charge of the correspondence during the absence of the 

 Entomologist. The popular interest aroused in the search for the 

 gipsy and brown tail moths in this State resulted in a great many 

 insects being sent in for determination. This work devolved very 

 largely upon Mr Young. A well sustained interest is shown by 

 the correspondence: 2120 letters, 1284 postals, 215 circulars and 

 3317 packages were sent through the mails and 208 packages were 

 shipped by express. 



Nursery certificates. The practice of recent years has been 

 continued and nursery certificates for persons desiring to ship into 

 the state of Virginia indorsed by the State Entomologist upon 

 the request of the State Commission of Agriculture. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of firms to whom these nursery certificates were 

 issued during 1906: The Rogers Nurseries, Stark Bros., Bryant 

 Bros., George A. Sweet, Morey & Son, G. W. Whitney & Co., 

 Sheerins Wholesale Nursery, all of Dansville; Wheelock & Clark, 

 T. S. Hubbard Co., George S. Joselyn, L. Roesch, Foster & Grif- 

 fith, F. E. SchifferH, all of Fredonia; Reliance Nursery Co., The 

 R. G. Chase Co., The M. H. Harman Co., all of Geneva; Jackson 

 & Perkins Co., Newark; Stark Bros., Portland; Brown Bros. Co., 

 Green Nursery Co., Charles V. Wyman, Ellwanger & Barry, 



