To the Trustees of the University of Illinois: 
GENTLEMEN: At the meeting of the Trustees of the University 
held in July, 1885, it was 
Resolved, That it is the sense of this Board that the Director of the State 
Laboratory of Natural History should make quarterly reports to this Board, 
through the Regent of the University, of the affairs and operations of the labo- 
ratory under his charge. 
Heretofore, observing, perhaps, the spirit rather than the letter 
of this resolution, I have endeavored to make you acquainted in- 
formally with our operations each quarter, so far as was necessary to 
your intelligent action on the requests which I have from time to 
time submitted to you; but I have not made to you systematic 
quarterly reports on the details of our work. I have lately con- 
cluded, however, that more should be known by the public in- 
terested, with respect to the scope, purpose, and results of the opera- 
tions of the State Laboratory of Natural History; and as one means 
to an improvement of our position in this respect, [ have decided to 
avail myself of the resolution cited above, and to file with you, for 
your information, an outline of our plan of operations and of the 
work accomplished each quarter. 
The work of the Laboratory is two-fold, relating on the one 
hand to the natural history survey of the State (finally authorized 
and organized by the Legislature of 1884-85), and on the other, to 
the State Entomologist’s Office, the working funds of which are all 
derived, under existing arrangements, from the Laboratory appro- 
priations. As State Entomologist, J am directly responsible only to 
the Governor; but the entomological and the general zoological work 
going on under my charge are so intimately blended that I cannot 
well report upon one without including the other; and as both are 
now supported by State appropriations administered by this Board, | 
have thought best to include both in this statement. 
The principal operations of the State Laboratory conveniently 
divide into original investigation, and the preparation and publica- 
tion of papers, bulletins, and reports. We have been especially en- 
gaged during the last quarter upon the following subjects: 
(1) The life history of the Hessian fly. This is in continua- 
tion of the research begun last year on the midsummer and winter 
history of this species, by means of experimental sowings of wheat 
made at intervals throughout the summer in southern L[llinois. By 
observing the appearance of the insects in these experimental plots 
and following the history of the various lots through the winter and 
