81 
and commencing in 1871, there were short articles on the injuries done 
by insects, written by Dr. Nicked* and between the years 1850 and 
1870 there were published a large number of similar reports, written 
by Dr. XickeiTs father, Dr. Franz A. Xickerl, who died in 1871. These 
reports were published by the elder Xickerl as a member of the K. K. 
Patriotic-Economic Society of the Kingdom of Bohemia. In 1891 
the State Agricultural Council of Bohemia was reorganized, and Dr. 
Xickerl retired, with the effect of discontinuing the annual reports. In 
the last of the reports, that for 1891, Dr. Xickerl gives a complete list 
of the reports published by him and an index of all the insects treated 
from the year 1875 to date. This list includes 108 species, of which 18 
occur in this country, as introductions from Europe. The reports are 
brief and are not illustrated. 
ITALY. 
The work which has been done by the Italian Government in the 
encouragement of economic entomology perhaps surpasses that of any 
other European nation. In the year 1875 the Eoyal Station of Agri- 
cultural Entomology was established at Florence. The director of 
the station was most wisely selected; Prof. Adolf Targioni-Tozzetti, a 
learned entomologist and a man of widespread reputation, was appointed 
to the position and was allowed two assistants. Since this beginning 
the work of the station has been continuous. Through its active and 
energetic labors the agriculturists of Italy have been informed concerning 
the vast majority of the insects of economic importance in the country. 
The station possesses a rich scientific library and a very large collec- 
tion of economic insects. Its aims are practically identical with those 
of the entomological offices of the experiment stations of our own coun- 
try, and with those of the Division of Entomology of the U. S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. It is a correspondence bureau ; it endeavors by 
original research to shed new light upon the problems of general eco- 
nomic entomology, and to publish for the benefit of agriculturists its 
own researches and those of private individuals. The station has 
published a very large number of leaflets treating of entomological sub- 
jects, as well as general reports for the years 1877-'78 (Florence, 1881); 
1879-82 (Florence, 1884); and 1883-85 (Florence, 1888). It has pub- 
lished also a separate work entitled Agricultural Orthoptera (Florence, 
1882), and a large and useful volume entitled Animals and Insects of 
Growing and Dry Tobacco (Florence, 1891). 
The publications of this station are too little consulted in this coun- 
try. Prof. Targioni-Tozzetti has made a life-long study of the Coccida*, 
and his articles upon this group of injurious insects possess the very 
highest value. With the assistance of Dr. Giacomo del Guercio and 
Dr. Antonio Berlese, he has conducted by far the most elaborate series 
of experiments with insecticides, used mainly against the Coccidse, but 
also against injurious insects of other groups, of which there is any 
