﻿FIFTH 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  I908 
  4.^ 
  

  

  Gall 
  midges. 
  The 
  studies 
  upon 
  this 
  important 
  group 
  have 
  pro- 
  

   gressed 
  very 
  successfully. 
  We 
  have 
  already 
  prepared 
  preliminar}' 
  

   keys 
  for 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  most 
  forms 
  into 
  subfamilies, 
  tribes, 
  genera 
  

   and 
  species, 
  together 
  with 
  tables 
  giving 
  the 
  food 
  habits 
  of 
  those 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  reared. 
  Some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  magnitude 
  of 
  this 
  work 
  

   may 
  be 
  gained 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  remembered 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  studied 
  over 
  

   3(X> 
  bred 
  species 
  and 
  now 
  recognize 
  700 
  species, 
  representing 
  about 
  

   50 
  genera. 
  The 
  systematic 
  arrangement 
  alone 
  of 
  this 
  large 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  microscopic 
  insects 
  is 
  an 
  immense 
  task; 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  

   above, 
  many 
  descriptions 
  have 
  been 
  drafted 
  and 
  numerous 
  biological 
  

   notes 
  transcribed. 
  

  

  The 
  later 
  work 
  upon 
  these 
  insects 
  has 
  of 
  necessity 
  been 
  confined 
  

   mostly 
  to 
  systematic 
  study, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  material 
  was 
  com- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  faster 
  than 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  worked 
  up 
  in 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  manner. 
  

   We 
  have 
  succeeded 
  in 
  rearing 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  season, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  

   the 
  pressure 
  of 
  other 
  matters, 
  about 
  75 
  species, 
  the 
  biology 
  of 
  most 
  

   of 
  which 
  was 
  previously 
  unknown. 
  There 
  is 
  on 
  hand 
  a 
  large 
  series 
  

   of 
  galls 
  from 
  which 
  some 
  extremely 
  desirable 
  material 
  may 
  be 
  ex- 
  

   pected 
  another 
  season. 
  The 
  work 
  upon 
  this 
  group 
  is 
  so 
  well 
  in 
  hand 
  

   that 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  no 
  difficulty 
  in 
  bringing 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  successful 
  

   conclusion 
  in 
  the 
  near 
  future. 
  

  

  The 
  rearing 
  and 
  care 
  of 
  breeding 
  jars 
  containing 
  gall 
  midges 
  

   requires 
  much 
  time. 
  Assistant 
  Entomologist 
  D. 
  B. 
  Young 
  had 
  

   general 
  charge 
  of 
  this 
  work 
  and 
  was 
  ably 
  assisted 
  by 
  Miss 
  Fanny 
  

   T. 
  Hartman. 
  In 
  addition, 
  Mr 
  Young 
  rendered 
  material 
  service 
  in 
  

   separating 
  the 
  large 
  material 
  into 
  the 
  major 
  groups, 
  while 
  Miss 
  

   Hartman 
  has 
  made 
  over 
  600 
  microscopic 
  preparations. 
  

  

  Flies 
  and 
  mosquitos. 
  The 
  ubiquitous 
  and 
  well 
  known 
  house 
  fly 
  

   has 
  been 
  the 
  recipient 
  of 
  much 
  attention 
  because 
  recent 
  investiga- 
  

   tions 
  show 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  responsible 
  agent, 
  under 
  certain 
  condi- 
  

   tions, 
  in 
  the 
  dissemination 
  of 
  typhoid 
  fever 
  and 
  other 
  grave 
  intes- 
  

   tinal 
  disorders. 
  Observations 
  upon 
  its 
  life 
  history 
  and 
  habits 
  have 
  

   established 
  the 
  practicability 
  of 
  largely 
  reducing 
  if 
  not 
  eliminating 
  

   this 
  menace 
  to 
  health 
  and 
  personal 
  comfort. 
  A 
  press 
  bulletin 
  on 
  

   this 
  insect 
  was 
  issued 
  and 
  this 
  will 
  be 
  supplemented 
  by 
  a 
  more 
  

   extended 
  account. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  much 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  mosquitos. 
  The 
  Ento- 
  

   mologist 
  inspected 
  the 
  work 
  in 
  progress 
  on 
  the 
  Flushing 
  meadows 
  

   and 
  has 
  kept 
  in 
  touch 
  with 
  similar 
  operations 
  in 
  other 
  localities. 
  

   Attention 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  fresh-water 
  species, 
  

   especially 
  the 
  malarial 
  carrying 
  form. 
  The 
  practicability 
  of 
  such 
  

  

  