ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORK 
658 
Some of the kinds, of which four and five years ago I could find scarcely any 
examples, and was' therefore able to give but a meager and imperfect ac¬ 
count of them, were now growing upon the trees in abundance, and with 
them others which were wholly new to me; whilst some kinds which were 
then most common and which I had studied most fully had now become 
exceedingly rare or had totally disappeared. I accordingly returned to an 
examination of these excrescences, and devoted the fore part of the season 
to them, anticipating that they would perhaps be the only subjects which 
the year would bring to me, from which to prepare this present Report. 
The appearance, however, of the Asparagus Beetle upon Long Island 
unexpectedly brought to me another subject for investigation, which was 
of much greater moment and of more immediate consequence than these 
gall insects of our forest trees; and it seemed to be of paramount impor¬ 
tance that this new and surpassingly destructive insect should have its 
habits and transformations ascertained and that full information respecting 
it should be promptly communicated to the public. To this subject, there¬ 
fore, my attention became’directed during the latter part of the season. 
And on coming to make up this Report, as none of our Garden Insects have 
yet been treated upon in this series of papers, I have thought that some of 
these which I was prepared to elucidate and on which I had interesting 
matter to communicate, might most appropriately accompany the Asparagus 
Beetle—thus making these Garden Insects my leading theme upon this 
occasion, and deferring tire new matter which has been acquired upon Fruit 
Insects until additional observations will enable me to work it up in a more 
finished shape than I shall at present be able to give it; although the omis¬ 
sion of so considerable a portion of the year’s researches will render this 
Report more curtailed than its predecessors have usually been. 
Respectfully submitted. 
ASA FITCH. 
