INTRODUCTION XXXIH 



cides'were incidental to those made eviously, and have been recorded 

 in the publications of the Entomological Division. 

 • The preparation of this report for the printer was virtually finished 

 by the end of 1882, and we owe it to ourself and to the public to ex- 

 plain here the reasons for the delay in its appearance. The chief reason 

 has' been the desire on our part to have all the more practical questions 

 as satisfactorily settled as possible, and ever> one who has been en- 

 gaged in such work knows how one experiment suggests and begets 

 another, and how difficult it is to close up experimental work that one 

 is deeply interested in. We also felt the need of more exact knowl- 

 edge of the facts in reference to Aletia in Brazil as bearing on the hi- 

 bernation and introduction of the species within the States. In pursuit 

 of information upon these points and upon questions concerning tho 

 cultivation of cotton in Brazil, Dr. John O. Branner, a gentleman fa- 

 miliar with Brazil through his connection with several exploring ex- 

 peditions, was sent to that country with an assistant, Mr. A. Koebele, 

 in the winter of 1882-'83. They remained there some four months and 

 collected a large amount of interesting material, returning in May, 1883. 

 Dr. Branner's preliminary report was published in Bulletin 4 of the 

 Entomological Division, pp. 51-69, and that portion of his final report 

 which treats of cotton insects forms Appendix Y of the present volume. 

 The remainder of his report is published in Miscellaneous Special Ee- 

 port Ko. 8 of the Department, under the title " Cotton in the Empire of 

 Brazil 5 the Antiquity, Methods, and Extentof its Cultivation j together 

 with Statistics of Exportation and Home Consumption." 



Then during this time the third report of the Commission was being 

 prepared and issued, while the labors of the divisional work since 1881 

 have been greater than ever before. We have, both from choice and 

 from necessity, made the finishing of the literary work of the Commis- 

 sion, which expired June 30, 1882, secondary to our duties as entomologist 

 to the Department, and the general work of the Division, together with 

 the preparation of the bulletins and annual reports issued since 1881, 

 have helped to increase the delay. Finally, there are delays incident to 

 Government publication which those who have had experience with it 

 very well understand, but which the outside public cannot well appre- 

 ciate. The chief of these is that the Government Printer finds it neces- 

 sary to set aside work on special reports during the sessions of Congress, 

 so that the summer months are the best to get work done on such special 

 reports — the time of year, unfortunately, when, from the very nature of 

 the work of the entomological Division, the entomologist is most occu- 

 pied with the prosecution of research and has least time for literary 

 or editorial work. Yet the fact remains that the report proper was 

 formally submitted in March, 1884, and the bulk of it was in type, with 

 all the illustrations made, by the fall of that year. If the foregoing 

 account of the investigation upon which this report is based and expla- 

 nation of the delay in its appearance indicate some of the difficulties 



