61 
and at a meeting of the executive committee of the society, held at the 
Astor House, in New York City, May 4. 1854, the following resolution 
was passed : 
Resolved, That Asa Fitch, M. d.. of Washington County, be appointed to perform 
the work : that he be furnished with such accommodations as he may desire in the 
rooms appointed for the laboratory in charge of the society ; and that the president 
and Mr. Johnson, the corresponding secretary, be a committee to prepare instruc- 
tions for such entomological examinations. 
Mr. William Kelly, at that time president of the New York State 
Agricultural Society, and Mr. B. F. Johnson, its corresponding secre- 
tary, performed their duties in the preparation of these instructions in 
the most admirable manner. In fact, so well were they performed that 
we imagine Dr. Fitch himself may have drafted the report which was 
signed by these gentlemen. So far as we are aware, no subsequent 
appointment of an official entomologist has ever been accompanied by 
such a full, explicit, and able paper, and for this reason we quote it in 
full: 
As our State has had a thorough examination made of all branches of its natural 
history except its insects, it is of the highest importance that the remaining branch — 
not less in importance than the others — should receive attention. The committee 
feel assured that in the selection of Dr. Fitch they havesecured a person every way 
competent to discharge the duties imposed in a manner creditable to thesociety and 
the State. 
In carrying out this examination it is desirable that equal prominence be given to 
economical as well as to scientific entomology, that being the part of this science 
which is specially important to the community at large. It has been objected to the 
volumes of the Natural History of the State that they are too purely scientific in 
their character to be of special value to the great mass of our citizens, and in the 
work now to be performed it is obvious that it will be of very little consequence to 
know that a particular kind of moth or fly is an inhabitant of this State unless we are 
ako informed of its history and habits, and whether it is a depredator upon any sub- 
stance which is of value to man. The habits and instincts of our insects are a proper 
subject of inquiry as much as their names and the marks by which they are distin- 
guished from each other. The whole history of every noxious species should at least 
be traced out as fully as circumstances will permit. 
Tht examiner is therefore directed, in the first place, to make for the present sea- 
son the insects which infest our fruit trees the leadiug object of examination. Those 
infesting our forest trees, our grain and other crops, our garden vegetables, our ani- 
mals, etc., will remain to be studied hereafter. The examiner is desired in his 
examinations to search out every insect which is a depredator upon our apple, plum, 
pear, cherry, peach, and other fruit trees, and study out all the facts in the history 
of each species, both in its larva and in its perfect state, as far as he shall have oppor- 
tunity to do it. In this way a broad foundation will be laid, to which additions can 
be made which future observations may show to be necessary. 
Should any important insect depredator appear the present seasou in any other 
situation than upon the fruit trees, the opportunity for studying it should not be 
neglecled, for the same species may not appear again in many years under circum- 
stances as favorable for becoming acquainted with its real history. 
Secondly, what time is not necessarily occupied in examining the insects infesting 
our fruit trees should be devoted to collecting and classifying the insects of the 
State, and to naming and describing such species as have not been described 
A report to be prepared at the end of the season, to be submitted to the legisla- 
ture, showing what has been accomplished during the season, to be divided into 
