14 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



A very advantageous exchange (the species are listed elsewhere) 

 has been made with Dr Nathan Banks of East Falls Church, Virginia, 

 the State becoming the possessor of a number of species determined 

 by this specialist in Diptera. A similar exchange has also been 

 made with Mr R. R. Parker, now of Montana, who has made a 

 special study of the very difficult flesh flies or Sarcophagi dae. The 

 species acquired from this student are listed with the other accessions. 



The need of additional boxes or trays referred to in previous 

 reports still exists. The wooden cases containing the insect collec- 

 tions should be replaced by steel cabinets and more provided to 

 accommodate the extra boxes and trays required. No adequate pro- 

 vision has as yet been made for the constantly increasing biological 

 material, which is also true of the large number of microscopic 

 slides, many of them containing types of species and genera and there- 

 fore impossible of duplication. A metallic riling case for the collec- 

 tion of negatives and photographs illustrating insects or their work 

 is also greatly needed. 



Nursery inspection. The nursery inspection work of the State 

 Department of Agriculture has resulted in numerous specimens 

 representing any stage in insect development, some in very poor 

 condition being submitted to the Entomologist for identification. 

 As such material may originate in a foreign country, determina- 

 tions of this character are laborious and require for their success- 

 ful prosecution a large collection and an excellent library of both 

 domestic and foreign works. The correct identification of such 

 material is very important, since the disposal of entire shipments 

 of nursery stock must depend in considerable measure upon the 

 character of the infestation. 



General. The work of the office has been materially aided as in 

 past years, by the identification of a number of species through 

 the courtesy of Dr L. O. Howard, chief of the bureau of entomology, 

 United States Department of Agriculture, and his associates. There 

 has been, as already stated, very effective cooperation with the 

 State Department of Agriculture, a number of county farm bureaus 

 and other public welfare agencies in the State. A number of cor- 

 respondents have donated valuable specimens and many have 

 rendered efficient service by transmitting local data respecting 

 various insects. It is a pleasure to note that there has been, as in 

 the past, a most helpful cooperation on the part of all interested in 



the work of the office. _, . „ , ... - 



Respectfully submitted 



Ephraim Porter Felt 



^ M , State Entomologist 



October i$, ipij 



