REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I915 49 



Parker, now of Montana, who has made a special study of the very 

 difficult flesh flies or Sarcophagidae. 



The Entomologist calls attention to the need of additional boxes 

 or trays referred to in previous reports. The wooden cases contain- 

 ing the insect collections should be replaced by steel cabinets and 

 more provided to accommodate the extra boxes and trays required. 

 No adequate provision has as yet been made for the constantly 

 increasing biological material, and for the large number of micro- 

 scopic slides, many of which contain types of species and genera 

 and therefore are impossible of duplication. A metallic filing case 

 for the collection of negatives and photographs illustrating insects 

 or their work is also greatly needed. 



Nursery inspection. The nursery inspection work of the State 

 Department of Agriculture has resulted in numerous specimens 

 representing various stages in insect development, some in very 

 poor condition, being submitted to this office for identification. As 

 such material may originate in a foreign country, determinations 

 of this character are laborious and require for their successful 

 prosecution, a large collection and an excellent library of both 

 domestic and foreign works. The correct identification of such 

 material is very important, since the disposal of entire shipments of 

 nursery stock must depend in considerable measure upon the 

 character of the infestation. 



The work of the office has been materially aided, as in past years, 

 by the identification of a number of species through the courtesy of 

 Dr L. O. Howard, chief of the bureau of entomology, United 

 States Department of Agriculture, and his associates. There has 

 been, as stated above, very effective cooperation with the State 

 Department of Agriculture, a number of county farm bureaus and 

 other public welfare agencies in the State. A . number of corre- 

 spondents have donated valuable specimens (listed elsewhere) and 

 many of them have rendered efficient service by transmitting 

 important data respecting various insects. 



