Report of the State Entomologist. 285 



publications not mucli less extensive, which give us about all that we know of our 

 dragon-flies, May-flies, caddis-flies, etc., we can not forego mention of the name of 

 Dr. Hermann Hagen, the highest living authority in this order, long distinguished in 

 Prussia as one of the leading entomologists of Europe, but many years ago induced by 

 Louis Agassiz to transfer his labors to this country under the temptation of an 

 unexplored Neuropterous fauna, together with the opportunity for its study in a life- 

 professorship at Harvard University. 



Commendable progress has been made in the study of the Orthoptera, of which 

 grasshoppers and crickets are representatives, through the attention given to the order 

 by Mr. Seudder during a long term of years, and later by the members of the United 

 States Entomological Commission in their investigations of the Eocky- Mountain locust 

 and allied species. A synopsis of the Ao'ididce (grasshoppers) has been published, but 

 some of the families have not been catalogued. To the kindness of Mr. Seudder I am 

 indebted for an estimate of 450 described species of North American (north of Mexico) 

 Orthoptera, of which 275 are Acridians. 



In the Hemiptera (plant-lice, scale-insects, cicadas, plant-bugs, etc.), far less progress 

 has been made than with the same order in Europe. Collections and descriptions, 

 however, have advanced to the extent of permitting the publication of a catalogue. 

 The first part of a catalogue, embracing the suborder of Heteroptera, of which the 

 plant-bugs are typical, has recently been published, giving the names of 1,450 species, 

 while the remaining suborder of Homoptera is in preparation. 



NuMBEB OF Described Insects. 



A comprehensive idea .of present acquaintance with our insect fauna, so far as relates 

 to the forms we have to deal with, may be obtained from the following statement: 



Dr. Packard, well known from his extensive writings as a leading entomologist, has 

 estimated (although somewhat roughly) that there are within the limits of the United 

 States 50,000 species of insects.* Of these there are at least (we can not give the precise 

 number, as some of the orders are still uncatalogued) 25,000 described speeies.t 



Literature of the Science. 



The literature of American Entomology has become so voluminous that a good work- 

 ing library for a student whose studies embrace all the orders of insects, would contain 

 at least five hundred volumes, and this would need to be supplemented by the privilege 

 of access to some public library where would be found other works needed for occa- 

 sional reference— not one so barren of scientific publications as our State library, whose 

 catalogue (subject-index) gives but eighty-five entomological titles. 



Unfortunately, much of the literature, the more recent, and, therefore, the more desir- 

 able, is scattered through the publications of scientific societies, government reports, 

 reports of agricultural and horticultural societies and agricultural papers. 



Qove)'nment Publications.— The knowledge of our insects has been greatly promoted 

 through the liberality of the general government in the large number of valuable pub- 

 lications that have been issued and distributed gratuitously by the Department of 

 Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Engineer Department of the Army. 



Smithsonian Institution Publications.— The kindly aid extended by the Smithsonian 

 Institution has proved of incalculable service. Several of the monographs which have 

 contributed so largely to the advance in this department of science owe even their 



* Hayden's Ninth Annual Report of the United States Geographical and Geological Survey of the Terri- 

 tories for 1875. Washington, 1877, page 590. 



t In the several orders as follows : Lepidoptera— Butterflies (Edv/ards List, 1884), 614. Moths (Grote Check 

 List, 1882), 3,184. Tinsidfe, not included by Grote (Chambers List, 1878), 779. Diptera (Osten Sacken esti- 

 mate in 1878), 2,500. Coleoptera (Henshaw List of 1885), 9,507. Hemiptera-Heteroptera (Uhler Check List, 

 1886), 1,448. Hemip.-Homoptera (Uhler estimate), 1,200. Orthoptera (Seudder estimate), 450. Hymenop- 

 tera and Neuroptera combined, at least 5,500. 



