63 
From the time of the publication of Dr. Fitch's last report, in 1872, 
the State of Xew York did nothing for the encouragement of economic 
entomology until 1881, when the legislature, on April 14, passed an act 
to provide for the appointment of a State entomologist. The law reads 
as follows: 
No. 316.] State of New York, 
In Senate, April 14, 1881. 
Introduced by Mr. Fowler: read twice and referred to the committee on finance; 
reported favorably from said committee and committed to the committee of the 
whole. 
AX ACT to provide for the appointment of a State entomologist and fixing his compensation. 
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as 
follows: 
Section 1. There shall be appointed by the governor a State entomologist, who 
shall be charged with the study of insects injurious to agriculture and of methods 
for controlling and preventing their depredations. 
P. 2. The salary of the entomologist shall be two thousand dollars, and he shall 
render an annual report of his labors and investigations to the legislature and shall 
arrange for the State museum of natural history a collection of insects taken in the 
course of his investigations. 
P. 3. This act shall take effect immediately. 
(Senate, No. 316.) (I. 520, G. O. 391.) 
(Chap. 377 of the Laws of 1881. Passed May 26, 1881, three-fifths being present.) 
The movement which resulted in the passage of this law was started 
by the regents of the University of the State of Xew York at their 
annual meeting in 1877, and the person appointed to fill the office was 
Dr. J. A. Lintner, a well-known worker in entomology, who, up to that 
time, had been connected with the State Laboratory of Natural His- 
tory. Dr. Lintner has held office continuously since 1881. He brought 
to bear upon his duties a ripe experience and a mind trained in scien- 
tific methods. He has published nine reports, the last one covering 
the year 1892, and only recently distributed. These reports are in 
many respects models. The great care and thoroughness of the author 
have hardly been equaled by any other writer upon economic ento- 
mology. The form of the reports is most admirable, and the account 
of each insect forms almost invariably a complete compendium of our 
knowledge concerning it down to the date of publication. His accounts 
are also arranged in the most convenient form for reference, a full bib- 
liography precedes the consideration of each species, and the frequent 
subheadings enable the most practical use of the report. The reports 
are replete with sound and ingenious practical suggestions, and are 
written in a straightforward, simple style, which possesses great lit- 
erary merit. They abound in illustrations, and are made available by 
most complete indices and tables of contents. Aside from these reports, 
Dr. Lintner has published a great deal in the newspapers, particularly 
the Country Gentleman, on the subject of economic entomology, and 
another valuable feature of his reports is the comprehensive list which 
he publishes each year of his unofficial writings. 
