IV 
PKEFACE. 
baneful by driving away birds of a truly insectivorous nature. 
I have not the slightest hesitation in advising every farmer, by 
every means lawfully in his power, to have every House Sparrow 
and every nest of eggs of House Sparrow destroyed, and their 
places of resort for breeding cleared as much as possible. 
In the constantly increasing work of my own special depart¬ 
ment, information is not unfrequently sought regarding foreign 
and colonial insect-attacks, and likewise it is now necessary to 
be prepared in this country to meet as best we may the attacks 
of crop-insects hitherto unnoticed here. Eelatively to these 
points I have been greatly favoured by skilled correspondents,— 
I may venture to say many friends, in many distant lands,—who 
have not only helped me by personal communication, but by 
extensive and valuable gifts of their published writings, thus 
placing in my hands the best information up to the present time, 
which in many cases it would have been almost impossible to 
possess, save through the courtesy of the authors. 
In regard to specially-conferred information, I have endea¬ 
voured in every case to acknowledge it as called for in the 
following pages, but the various treatises sent me are of such 
great service in my work that I desire to mention with sincere 
thanks the names of some of those to whom I am the most 
indebted. In Canada I am especially under obligation to Mr. 
J. Fletcher, Consulting Entomologist of the Department of 
Agriculture, and to Prof. W. Saunders, Director of the Experi¬ 
mental Farm Stations of the Dominion. In the United States 
of America I am much indebted to the courtesy of Prof. C. V. 
Eiley, State Entomologist, Department of Agriculture, for the 
large amount of valuable works of his own authorship, and like¬ 
wise Government publications forwarded to me; and also to Dr. 
J. A. Lintner and Prof. S. A. Eorbes, the State Entomologists of 
New York State, and of Illinois; to Dr. Hagen, of Cambridge, 
Mass.; Prof. Comstock, of Cornell University; Prof. George 
French Normal, Ill.; Mr. J. Marten, of Decatur, Ill.; and Prof. 
F. M. Webster, of Purdue University, Indiana ; and in California 
to Mr. Matthew Cooke, late Chief Executive Horticultural Officer 
of California, and to Prof. E. J. Wickson, for information from 
the College of Agriculture, University of California. To some of 
the above friends I am indebted for specimens, as well as for 
correspondence and for publications of great public service, and 
to all I tender my hearty thanks. 
