—— a ae 
INTRODUCTION. 
The present bulletin is the second of those belonging to the new 
series which contain shorter articles and notes; in fact, such material 
as was formerly published in Insect Life. It is the policy of the Divi- 
sion to present in this form the results of the observations made in the 
office which are not sufficiently extensive upon any one topic to form 
_an independent and complete bulletin. The present issue contains a 
number of articles which will doubtless be found of wide interest and 
more or less importance. The article upon the peach twig-borer, by Mr. 
Marlatt, was completed in July, and was presented by title before the 
meeting of the Association of Economic Entomologists at Detroit, 
Mich., in August. A bulletin by Mr. Cordley, of the Oregon Station, 
which has priority of publication, was apparently prepared simultane- 
ously with this article. It is hoped that the article by the writer on 
the fig-eater, or green June beetle, will be of value as showing the harm- 
less character of the larve of this insect, which have generally been 
supposed to be plant depredators of some consequence. The series of 
articles by Mr. Chittenden comprises a number of new notes upon gar- 
den insects which have resulted from a series of careful observations 
upon insects of this class. Further results will be published from time 
to time. The articles by Dr. Zehntner, of Java, and Professor Matsu- 
mura, of Japan, have an interest to American economic cntomologists, 
not only from the general interest attaching to the methods of work in 
economic entomology by trained foreigners, but also from the fact that 
the necessity of an intimate knowledge of foreign species which may 
at any time be introduced into our territory,is every day becoming 
more evident. 
For a number of years it has been thought very desirable to have an 
annual exploration made of the territory comprised within the limits 
of the permanent breeding grounds of the Rocky Mountain locust, as 
well as the adjoining territory, for the purpose of obtaining exact 
knowledge of conditions upon which might be based some intelligent 
idea as to the prospects of locust abundance in ensuing seasons. These 
annual trips have always been made down to the present year by Prof. 
Lawrence Bruner, of the University of Nebraska, under the auspices 
of this Division. Thus Professor Bruner’s reports for 1895 and 1896 
were published in Bulletin No. 7 of this series. In 1897 the newspaper 
reports and the office correspondence indicated a greater abundance of 
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