2 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
The preservation of our forests and of old and valued shade trees in 
our cities and towns is a subject of pressing importance, and it is to be 
hoped that the Government will foster private work and research in this 
direction. Next to the wanton destruction of forests by unthinking 
settlers and shiftless land owners, as well as by tires caused by the sparks 
of locomotives, the attacks of injurious insects are most widespread and 
tar reaching. Our forest and shade trees are yearly growing more 
valuable and indispensable, and at the same time the ravages of in- 
sects are becoming more widespread and noticeable. The diffusion of 
a moderate amount of information upon the subject at the present time 
will attract the notice ot the public and lead owners of land to pay a 
little attention to the subject and do something towards checking the 
ravages of noxious insects. 
In France and Germany private persons, entomologists such as Per- 
ris in France, and especially Katzeburg in Germany, have published 
beautifully illustrated general works of very great interest and value 
upon forest inserts, and their books have done immense service in those 
countries, where an enlightened government and an intelligent people 
have felt the importance of building up schools cf forestry and of 
making laws compelling due efforts towards repressing the more injuri- 
ous forest insects. 
Kalteubach, in his work entitled " Die Pflanzenfeinde aus der Klasse 
der Iusekten," or the Insect-enemies of Plants, has enumerated, in a 
closely-printed volume of 848 pages, the species of insects preying upon 
the different trees and plants, of all sorts, of central Europe. The num- 
ber of insects found upon some kinds of forest trees is astonishing, 
though it is to be remembered that all kinds are not equally destructive, 
the most injurious and deadly forms being comparatively few. 
Kalteubach enumerates 537 species of insects iujurious to the oak, 
and 107 obnoxious to the elm. The poplars afford a livelihood to 264 
kinds of insects; the willows yield food to 396 species; the birches har- 
bor 270 species; the alder, 119; the beech, 154; the hazelnut, 97, and 
the hornbeam, 88. Coming to the coniferous trees, as the pine, spruce, 
larch, firs, etc., the junipers supply 33 species, while upon the pines, 
larch, spruce, and firs, collectively, prey 299 species of insects. In 
France Perris has observed over one hundred species either injurious 
to, or living upon without being especially injurious to, the maritime 
pine. These are described in an octavo volume of 532 pages, with 
numerous plates. 
The number as yet known to attack the different kinds of trees in the 
United States may be seen by reference to the following pages. It is 
sufficiently large to excite great fears for the future prosperity of our 
diminished forests, uuless the Government interposes, and through the 
proper channels fosters entomological research in this direction. Our 
forests, moreover, are much richer in species of trees than those of Eu- 
rope. We have, without doubt, ou the trees corresponding to those of 
