92 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



though it was generally present at Buffalo on a great many horse- 

 chestnut trees, partially defoliating thousands. The fall web- 

 worm, Hyphantria textor Harr., has, as a rule, been less 

 injurious than in preceding years, except in a few localities. 



Office work. The general office work has been conducted as in 

 preceding years and has been marked by many more demands 

 for information, indicating an increased interest. The determina- 

 tions of scale insects for the commissioner of agriculture, in con- 

 nection with the nursery inspection work of his department, has 

 made somewhat extensive demands on the time of Assistant 0. M. 

 Walker, who has also had charge of most of the breeding cage 

 work. Many photographs of living insects or specimens of their 

 work have been taken and a number of lantern slides added to 

 the collection, greatly increasing its effectiveness in illustrating 

 popular lectures. It is gratifying to record that there have been 

 no changes in the office staff during the past year, and conse- 

 quently the work has proceeded without interruption from this 

 cause. Correspondence indicates a continued and healthy interest 

 in our work, as is evidenced by the following figures : 2035 letters, 

 784 postals, 490 circular letters and 1109 packages were sent 

 through the mail during the past year. The reduction from last 

 year in the number of postals and packages is due to the fact that 

 but three publications were issued during the present year against 

 four in 1903, and the last issued was not available for distribu- 

 tion till very late, consequently a portion of the copies will be sent 

 out next year. Mailing expenses have also been reduced by send- 

 ing two or more publications by express, wherever that was 

 economical, a total of 114 packages being shipped. 



Special investigations. The lines of work begun in earlier years 

 have been continued and considerable progress made. The grape- 

 vine root worm, Fidia viticida Walsh, has been the sub- 

 ject of more extended investigations than last year, a large amount 

 of exceedingly valuable data has been secured and we have demon- 

 strated that collecting the beetles was a practical, the most 

 reliable and probably the most economical method of controlling 

 this pest. The details of this work will appear in a revised and 

 extended bulletin on this insect. The experiments with insecti- 



