15 



accessible for future reference. Broad shallow drawers or travs are 

 convenient for the smaller wood and bark specimens, while wood or 

 heavy paper boxes serve for larger ones. Common florists' paper 

 boxes, which are shipped flat ready to be made up, are excellent for 

 storing the classified material. 



Every individual specimen should have the number of the note 

 referring to it, or the series to which it belongs, and also something 

 to designate the particular set of notes or accessions catalogue to which 

 the number refers, as "500, Hopk., W. Va.," which means entry No. 

 500 in the accessions catalogue of the entomological department of the 

 West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Morgantown, W. Va., 

 A. D. Hopkins, collector. As long as the specimens remain in the 

 collection with the catalogue these accession numbers are all that is 

 necessary for the duplicate material, since they serve at once as index 

 to the readily accessible notes. Tf , however, any of the specimens are 

 transferred to other collections they should alwaj's bear labels show- 

 ing date, host, and such other facts as are of primary importance to pre- 

 serve their identity, or if a large number of examples of ditferent 

 species are sent a list of species and accessions catalogue numbers with 

 extracts from original notes should accompany them, together with 

 the address of the individual or institution having permanent charge 

 of the accessions catalogue. 



The specimens of the work of insects may have the number and 

 other data written on them, or on paper labels and pasted on or other- 

 wise attached. If the specimens are fastened on cardboard or to the 

 bottom of the case, labels may be printed and pasted beneath them. 



WHAT TO STUDY. 



After the student has acquired some knowledge of how to study, 

 collect, and make proper records of observations, and how to label and 

 preserve specimens, it is important for him to consider well what there 

 is of importance to study and investigate, and how to get results of 

 practical value. Forest entomology embraces only such insects as are 

 in some way related to human interest in forests and forest products. 

 Therefore, the student must confine his studies to the insect fauna of 

 the forest growth which is of some economic importance, with the 

 view to determining which kinds are injurious, which are beneficial, 

 and which are neutral in their relation to the life history of the plant 

 and the future usefulness of its products. 



Commencing with the matured seed or fruit of trees, such as the 

 oaks, hickories, walnut, and others, we find that not only the nut or 

 seed, but its envelope (hull or pod), is the home of many kinds of 

 insects. On the tree, fallen, stored for use, or planted in the ground, 

 they support some different kinds of insect enemies or guests, as they 

 do, also, from the time the seed bursts open and the roots and stem 



