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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



lections, particularly in the Syrphidae and Caddis flies. Dr Need- 

 ham is now engaged on a monographic account of the stone flies 

 (Plecoptera) of New York State, which 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 the latter part 

 of 1906. The investigation of this hitherto much neglected group 

 was planned on comprehensive lines though its extent was neces- 

 sarily restricted because of the limited funds available for the pur- 

 pose. The work already accomplished or in hand constitutes an un- 

 rivaled basis for more extended studies, which should not only re- 

 sult in large acquisitions of original knowledge but should also prove 

 of great service to the fish culturist. An idea of the possibilities 

 may be obtained from the following statistics: 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 annual pro- 

 ducts 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 in the 

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

 ($241,916) dollars. 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 careful 

 studies of water insects and the conditions necessary to their 

 existence would result in ascertaining practical means by which 

 the amount of available fish food might be immensely increased and 

 the productivity of waters correspondingly influenced. The 

 possible 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 bulletins, 

 entitled Mosquito s or Culicidae of New York State, Entomology 

 22 (Museum bulletin 79) and May Flies and Midges of New 

 York, Entomology 23 (Museum bulletin 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 next official year. 

 The memoir on Insects Affecting Park and Woodland Trees, is 

 going through the press and should appear early in 1906. 



