414 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 16 
its parasites, led to his appointment in 1890 to a position on the staff of 
the West Virginia University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
His love of and indefatigable efforts to understand nature had by this 
time equipped him in extraordinary fashion for the life he was to follow. 
As State Entomologist Dr. Hopkins immediately gave evidence of his 
insight into the entomological problems of the forest and his deep interest 
in them. He showed the broad knowledge of entomology that leads to a 
recognition of the value of systematic and biological investigations in their 
application to economic entomology, building up a collection and a 
reputation for keenness of vision in the warfare between insects and man. 
Surely the recognition of forest entomology as a branch of science de¬ 
veloped as his accomplishments increased. 
In the autumn of 1892 he was sent on a misssion to Germany to find 
a beetle that would be predaceous on the barkbeetle (Dendroctonus 
frontalis Zimm.) that was killing the pine and spiuce timber of West 
Virginia and adjoining states. The mission, as to the attainment of 
the object of finding the beetle (Clerus jormicarius Linn.) was a success 
as described in Bulletin 56, West Virginia Agricultural Experiment 
Station, 1899. In recognition of this the Board of Regents of the West 
Virginia University honored him with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 
In 1899 he was employed by the U. S. Division of Entomology (now 
Bureau) to make entomological explorations in the Pacific Coast and 
Northern Rocky Mountain forests; in 1900 to make a similar explora¬ 
tion in the spruce forests of Maine; and in 1901 to make a special in¬ 
vestigation of depredations by tree-killing insects in the Black Hills of 
South Dakota. In recognition of services on these special missions, 
and as foremost forest entomologist in America, Dr. Hopkins was, on 
July 1, 1902, appointed Chief of Forest Insect Investigations in the 
Bureau of Entomology, which position he has held to the present time. 
Dr. Hopkins’ first activities as Forest Entomologist consisted of ex¬ 
tensive preliminary surveys of the character and extent of the most im¬ 
portant depredations by forest insects throughout the country. The 
results of these surveys and additional studies convinced him of the 
primary necessity for studies of the Scolytid barkbeetles, especially 
those in the genus Dendroctonus , many species of which he found to be 
new and the most destructive enemies of coniferous forests in this 
country. 
Since about 1895 Dr. Hopkins hjas been interested in broad biological 
questions and in 1900 announced the recognition of a natural law. Of 
late years he has devoted much time to the development of this law 
