INTRODUCTION 
XXXIII 
cides were incidental to those made previously, and have been recorded 
in the publications of the Entomological Division. 
The preparation of this report for the printer was virtually finished 
by the end of 1882, and we owe it to ourself and to the public to ex- 
plain here the reasons for the delay in its appearance. The chief reason 
has been the desire on our part to have all the more practical questions 
as satisfactorily settled as possible, and every one who has been en- 
gaged in such work knows how one experiment suggests and begets 
another, and how difficult it is to close up experimental work that one 
is deeply interested in. We also felt the need of more exact knowl- 
edge of the facts in reference to Aletia in Brazil as bearing on the hi- 
bernation and introduction of the species within the States. In pursuit 
of information upon these points and upon questions concerning the 
cultivation of cotton in Brazil, Dr. John C. Branner, a gentleman fa- 
miliar with Brazil through his connection with several exploring ex- 
peditions, was sent to that country with an assistant, Mr. A. Koebele, 
in the winter of 18S2-'83. They remained there some four months and 
collected a large amount of interesting material, returning in May, 1883. 
Dr. Branner's preliminary report was published in Bulletin 4 of the 
KntomolOgical Division, pp. ol-GO, and that portion of his final report 
which treats of cotton insects forms Appendix V of the present volume. 
The remainder of his report is published in Miscellaneous Special Re- 
port No. 8 of the Department, under the title "Cotton in the Empire of 
Brazil; the Antiquity, Methods, and Extent of its Cultivation j together 
with Statistics of Exportation Mid Home Consumption." 
Then during this time the third report of the Commission was being 
prepared and issued, while the labors of the divisional work since 1881 
have been greater than evet before. We have, both from choice and 
from necessity, made the finishing of the literary work of the Commis- 
sion, which expired June 30, lSSU. secondary to our duties as entomologist 
to the Department, and the general work of the Division, together with 
the preparation of the bulletins and annual reports issued since 1881, 
have helped to Increase the delay* Finally, there are delays incident to 
Government publication which those who have had experience with it 
very well understand, but which the outside public cannot well appre- 
ciate. The chief of these is that the Government Printer finds it neces- 
sary to set aside work on special reports during the sessions of Congress, 
so that the summer months are the best to get work done on such special 
reports — the time of year, unfortunately, when, from the very nature of 
the work of the entomological Division, the entomologist is most occu- 
pied with the prosecution of research and has least time for literary 
or editorial work. Yet the fact remains that the report proper was 
formally submitted in March, 1884, and the bulk of it was in type, with 
all the illustrations made, by the fall of that year. If the foregoing 
account of the investigation upon which this report is based and expla- 
nation of the delay in its appearance indicate some of the difficulties 
