REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I913 89 



life histories of the various species. The State collection now 

 contains a large amount of such material, invaluable because of the 

 associated data. Many miscroscopic preparations of smaller insects 

 have been made and incorporated in the collections as in earlier 

 years. 



Much labor has been expended upon the rearrangement of the 

 collections, an undertaking which has been hampered to some extent 

 by insufficient case or tray room. This work, while time consuming 

 and in a certain measure unproductive, is a necessary preliminary 

 to effective studies in the future ; otherwise more time would be 

 lost in endeavoring to find misplaced specimens than would be re- 

 quired to put the collection in order in the first place. 



Material provision for the care of the collections is essential. 

 The pinned insects are in boxes or trays in wooden cases. There 

 are not enough of the former to permit the specimens being properly 

 arranged, and the latter should be replaced by steel cases and more 

 provided to accommodate the additional boxes and trays required. 

 The biological material is in an even less satisfactory state. It is 

 in shallow, wooden trays and difficult of access because of the lack 

 of space. There is need of a modern series of metallic trays for 

 the accommodation of such specimens. Some equally satisfactory 

 provision should be made for the large collection of microscopic 

 slides, many of them containing types of species, and therefore im- 

 possible of duplication. The constantly increasing collection of 

 photographic negatives requires a metallic filing case of approved 

 design. 



Nursery inspection. The nursery inspection work conducted b}^ 

 the State Department of Agriculture has resulted in the Entomolo- 

 gist being requested to make numerous identifications and also ad- 

 vise in regard to the policy which should be pursued by the State. 

 Many of the specimens submitted for name were in poor condition, 

 and as they may represent any stage in insect development and fre- 

 quently originate in a foreign country, such determinations are 

 laborious, time consuming and recjuire for their successful prosecu- 

 tion a large collection and many entomological works, both domestic 

 and foreign. The correct identification of such material is very 

 important, since the disposal of large shipments of nursery stock- 

 depends in considerable measure upon the character of the infesta- 

 tion. 



Miscellaneous. Cooperation with the Division of Visual In- 

 struction has been continued and additions made to an excellent 

 and somewhat extended series of photographs, mostly of injurious 

 or common insects or their work. 



