REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR igi2 4I 



Control of Insect Pests in Institutions, The Identity of the 

 Better Knoivn Midge Galls, The Fundamentals of Spraying and 

 several papers describing new species of gall midges. A list of 

 the Entomologist's more important publications is given in his 

 annual report. 



Collections. There have been material additions to the collec- 

 tions through the efforts of the members of the office stafif, and 

 also by exchange and donation. Through the courtesy of Dr 

 Otto Niisslin of Karlsruhe, Germany, the Museum received an 

 excellent series of European bark beetles. Mr Henry Bird, of 

 Rye, generously donated an admirable lot of reared stem borers 

 belonging to Hydroecia or closely allied genera, a number of 

 these forms being almost unrepresented outside Mr Bird's excep- 

 tionally fine collection. The work of arranging and classifying 

 the Museum collections has continued whenever opportunity of- 

 fered. Considerable miscellaneous Avork has been done upon the 

 beetles or Coleoptera, giving special attention to the flea beetles, 

 Halticini of the Chrysomelidae and to the June beetles, Lachno- 

 sterna and its immediate allies of the Scarabaeidae. An excellent 

 series of genitalic mounts was made in this latter group. 



The value of the collections has been greatly increased by mi- 

 croscopic preparations. Specimens of the Scolytidae received 

 from Doctor Niisslin and noted above were put in balsam mounts. 

 There were, in addition, two hundred such preparations of gall 

 midges, mostly from reared material, and a number of scale in- 

 sects, some previously unrepresented in the collections, which 

 were similarly treated. The value of this material is much en- 

 hanced when placed in such preparations, since the latter are per- 

 manent in character and, in most of the species mounted, neces- 

 sary for the identification of the insect. 



The series of plant groups designed to serve as an embellishing 

 ?Knd instructive feature of the enlarged exhibit now in preparation 

 are practically completed. There has been special collecting for 

 this exhibit. 



The more ample facilities of the new quarters bring added re- 

 sponsibilities in the opportunity they offer of making the State 

 collection of insects, both for exhibit and reference, thoroughly 

 representative. The magnitude of such a task is appreciated by 

 very few. The Entomologist recently assembled, with the coopera- 

 tion of recognized authorities in various groups, the best obtainable 



