﻿39^ 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  was 
  the 
  zone 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  abundant 
  yellow 
  water 
  HIies. 
  Next 
  came 
  

   a 
  very 
  broad 
  zone 
  of 
  sphagnum, 
  floating 
  at 
  its 
  outer 
  edge 
  over 
  

   water 
  5 
  feet 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  depth, 
  with 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  detached 
  and 
  float- 
  

   ing 
  island. 
  This 
  zone 
  was 
  fairly 
  sprinkled 
  over 
  with 
  pitcher 
  plants, 
  S 
  a 
  r- 
  

   racenia 
  purpurea 
  Linn., 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  pretty 
  orchids, 
  

   Limodorum 
  tuberosum 
  L., 
  Arethusa 
  bulbosa 
  Linn., 
  

   Habenaria 
  sp?, 
  while 
  a 
  few 
  clumps 
  of 
  lambkill 
  and 
  tufts 
  of 
  cotton 
  

   grass 
  were 
  scattered 
  about. 
  Back 
  of 
  the 
  sphagnum 
  was 
  a 
  thin 
  fringe 
  of 
  

   pale 
  green 
  tamaracks, 
  while 
  dark 
  hemlocks 
  of 
  the 
  forest 
  stood 
  close 
  be- 
  ' 
  

   hind, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  pools 
  in 
  their 
  shadows 
  nestled 
  beds 
  of 
  native 
  callas. 
  

   Numerous 
  fine 
  dragon 
  flies 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  large 
  caddis 
  flies 
  and 
  the 
  handsome 
  

   larva 
  of 
  some, 
  to 
  me 
  unknown, 
  diving 
  beetle 
  were 
  the 
  principal 
  insects 
  

   observed 
  there. 
  

  

  Objects 
  and 
  results 
  

  

  This 
  station, 
  being 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  a 
  region 
  whose 
  aquatic 
  

   insect 
  fauna 
  had 
  scarcely 
  been 
  studied 
  at 
  all, 
  offered 
  a 
  wide 
  choice 
  of 
  

   field 
  operations. 
  Being 
  established 
  solely 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  aquatic 
  insects, 
  

   and 
  m 
  this 
  respect 
  unique 
  among 
  field 
  stations, 
  it 
  lacked 
  the 
  advantage 
  

   accruing 
  from 
  the 
  simultaneous 
  study 
  of 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  aquatic 
  life, 
  but 
  

   offered 
  opportunity 
  for 
  concentration 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  of 
  aquatic 
  

   entomology. 
  The 
  following 
  objects 
  were 
  had 
  in 
  mind, 
  though 
  it 
  was 
  

   realized 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  that 
  little 
  would 
  be 
  done 
  with 
  some 
  of 
  them* 
  

   and 
  that 
  any 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  occupy 
  our 
  time 
  

   profitably: 
  i) 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  state 
  museum 
  collections; 
  2) 
  to 
  increase 
  

   our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  aquatic 
  insect 
  fauna 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  region 
  ; 
  3) 
  

   to 
  study 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  aquatic 
  insects 
  in 
  natural 
  societies; 
  4) 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  

   reproductive 
  capacity 
  of 
  insects 
  ; 
  5) 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  aquatic 
  insects 
  ; 
  

  

  6) 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  food 
  relations 
  of 
  insects, 
  fishes 
  and 
  other 
  aquatic 
  animals; 
  

  

  7) 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  life 
  histories 
  of 
  aquatic 
  insects. 
  

  

  Additions 
  to 
  the 
  state 
  museum. 
  Our 
  collections 
  of 
  specimens 
  

   were 
  so 
  numerous 
  that 
  the 
  attempt 
  made 
  at 
  first 
  to 
  keep 
  some 
  record 
  of 
  

   the 
  number 
  and 
  kind 
  of 
  specimens 
  was 
  early 
  abandoned. 
  When 
  hun- 
  

   dreds 
  and 
  even 
  thousands 
  of 
  specimens 
  were 
  being 
  collected 
  every 
  day,. 
  

   the 
  enumeration 
  of 
  them 
  would 
  consume 
  time 
  that 
  was 
  greatly 
  needed 
  for 
  

   matters 
  of 
  more 
  importance. 
  Miscellaneous 
  collections 
  were 
  made 
  by 
  

   sweeping 
  vegetation 
  with 
  a 
  net, 
  and 
  by 
  trap 
  lanterns 
  set 
  at 
  night 
  when 
  

   the 
  rain 
  ceased 
  long 
  enough 
  to 
  permit 
  these 
  operations, 
  and 
  the 
  material 
  

   thus 
  obtained 
  was 
  sent 
  while 
  fresh 
  to 
  Albany 
  to 
  be 
  prepared 
  there 
  for 
  the 
  

   cabinet. 
  On 
  warm, 
  still, 
  rainless 
  nights 
  the 
  lanterns 
  attracted 
  from 
  the 
  

   surrounding 
  woods 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  number 
  and 
  variety 
  of 
  moths, 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  preserved, 
  but 
  not 
  studied 
  as 
  yet. 
  

  

  