RETORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I905 



53 



should be completed by the end of the calendar year. Mr Betten 

 has in preparation a comprehensive account of our Caddis flies 

 (Trichoptera), which may be expected in 1907. 



The investigation of this hitherto much neglected group was 

 planned on comprehensive lines though its extent was necessarily 

 restricted because of the limited funds available for the purpose. 

 The work already accomplished or in hand constitutes an unrivaled 

 basis for more extended studies, which should not only result in 

 large acquisitions of original knowledge but should also prove 

 of immense service to the fish culturist. An idea of the possi- 

 bilities may be obtained from the following statistics culled from 

 related lines of effort : A number of years ago the shellfish industry 

 of this State was at a very low ebb and now, as a result of the 

 application of scientific methods, the products amount to over 

 two million ($2,309,758) dollars. The fresh-water fish products 

 of the Hudson valley and Long Island amounted in 1900 to over 

 one million ($1,192,544) dollars and that coming into the State 

 from the Great Lakes in 1901 to nearly one fourth million dollars 

 ($241,916). These returns were obtained with very little or no 

 effort toward improving the available amount of fish food, and 

 there seems to be no reason why our numerous fresh-water lakes, 

 ponds and streams can not be made much more productive. The 

 mere stocking with valuable fish is not sufficient, provision must 

 be made for an adequate food supply. It is very probable that care- 

 ful studies of water insects and the conditions necessary to their 

 existence would result in ascertaining practical means whereby the 

 amount of available fish food might be immensely increased and 

 the productivity of waters correspondingly influenced. The pos- 

 sible results from further investigations are sufficiently promising 

 to warrant continuing this work so far as available funds will 

 permit. 



Publications. The Entomologist has made numerous contribu- 

 tions of a practical nature to the agricultural press. Two important 

 bulletins, entitled Mosquitos or Culicidae of New York State, Ento- 

 mology 22 [N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 79] and May Flies and Midges 

 of New York, Entomology 23 [N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 86], have 

 been issued. Owing to unexpected delays, the report of the State 

 Entomologist for 1904 was not issued till after the close of the 

 official year. The stone flies (Plecoptera) of New York State are 

 being monographed by Dr James G. Needham. This work should 

 be completed by the end of the calendar year. The memoir on 



