common Thrips or strawberry '' midget," the injuries and life 

 history of the little-known corn root worm, the spring and 

 summer history of the Hessian fly, and the life histories of the 

 common white grubs and wireworms. Other subjects of in- 

 terest studied are injuries to fruit trees by the European bark 

 beetle, the damage to wheat, oats, and other grains by the grain 

 Aphis, the life history of the swamp bill bug, the species and 

 life histories of a considerable number of gall gnats, and the 

 breeding, identification, and description of common aquatic 

 larvae from temporary pools in spring. Especially important 

 progress has been made in our knowledge of the history and 

 habits of some of the commonest and most destructive insects 

 of the farm, including the white grubs, the Hessian fly, and 

 the corn root louse. 



The entomological collection has been greatly enlarged, 

 especially in Diptera, and a large number of determinations in 

 all orders have been made. The named collection is now con- 

 tained in 160 double boxes, and numbers about 5,000 species, 

 each being represented, as a rule, by four selected specimens. 

 The pinned and determined duplicate insects on hand — largely 

 in process of distribution to public schools — amount to 42 600 

 specimens. The alcoholic insects, including large numbers of 

 larvae, are contained in about 10,200 bottles and vials. 



Seven hundred and forty-four copies of the zoological vol- 

 ume — the first on the ornithology of the state — have been 

 issued up to the present time (Dec. 31, 1890), 732 of them 

 gratuitously, 656 in Illinois and 76 outside of the state, and 12 

 have been sold at cost ($3.50 a volume). There remain of the 

 edition printed 256 copies, 200 of which we have reserved for 

 future use. 



There have been printed since my last statement two of 

 my reports as State Entomologist, that for the years 1885 and 

 1886 — long delayed in the hands of the printer — having 

 finally been issued in 1889, and the report for 1887 and 1888, 

 in 1890. Each of these reports contains seven articles; the 

 first 103 pages and the second 226 pages. 



In the Bulletin of the Laboratory six articles have been 

 issued in the last two years, one on the animals of the Missis- 

 sippi bottoms, by Prof. H. Garman; two by myself, describing 



