promptly fatal luidcn- laboiatory coiiditioiis closely similar to those obtaining' 

 in the field. A yaboratorj- study of this disease, and of the organism charac- 

 terizing it, was completed by my assistant in this department, Mr. B. M. 

 Duggar, and his paper on the subject is now going through the press. 



During the present season particular attention has been given to a new dis- 

 ease of the army worm, which had the effect to destroy the gi'eater part of 

 the individuals composing an outbreak of this species early in the present 

 year; and to a critical study of occun'ences connected with a general disap- 

 pearance of the chinch-bug, or the marked diminution of its numbei's, in 

 regions where it was abundant last year, and where it made a threatening 

 beginning this spring. Careful and systematic studies have been made to 

 determine, so far as practicable, the precise causes of this diminution in num- 

 bers in the field, and particularly to ascertain whether contagious disea.><es, 

 bacterial or other, not hitherto detected, Avere now discoveraVjle. The results 

 have been thus far either negative or incomplete, the death of chinch-bugs 

 heing due, so far as observed and determined, either to the direct effect of 

 the weather of the season or to one or both of the two contagious diseases of 

 that insect thus far known to us. Some of our experiments are, however, 

 still incomplete, and certain clues in my possession, when followed out, may 

 possibly lead to other conclusions. 



The work of the Biological Experiment Station has made very satisfactory 

 progi'ess under somewhat embarrassing conditions, due especially to insuffi- 

 ciency of funds for the continuous maintenance of our work on the scale 

 originally planned. The equipment fund has all been expended in the build- 

 ing and furnishing of a laboratory boat as a field headquarters and students* 

 laboratory, in the purchase of a launch and in the substitution of more 

 powerful machinery for that originally furnished with it, and in the purchase 

 or manufacture of various pieces of apparatus required for our peculiar work. 



Owing to the practical exhaustion of funds, the laboratory boat, established 

 for the summer on Quiver Lake, was brought down to Havana September 1, 

 1896, and placed, together with the launch, in charge of our general Station 

 assistant, Mr. Newbeny, avIio takes the responsibility of the care and protec- 

 tion of all our Station property during the fall and winter at a salary of $20 

 a month. The work of the Station is not, hoAvever, completely suspended, 

 the Superintendent, Dr. Kofoid, visiting Havana once a fortnight for the 

 usual systematic round of observations, collections, and other operations, at 

 the various substations in our field. 



The Station bills are all paid except a few recently received, in process of 

 payment now, and there is a comfortable balance in the appropriations for 

 the curi'ent year beyond those covered by expeuditui-es to which we are com- 

 mitted. In accordance with your authorization at your last meeting I have 

 discontinued Mr. Adolph Hempel's services, simply because it was impossible 

 to continue his salary with our funds, and have engaged Dr. Kofoid as Sta- 

 tion Superintendent at his former salary, to June 30, 1897. 



Full particulars concerning the scope of our operations, the amount and 

 character of the work done, the results now ready for report, the papers 



