4 
obtainable at that season of the year was collected, from every part 
of the lake, studied while fresh, and preserved for further examina- 
tion, as far as it was capable of preservation. The objects secured 
were intended to give a complete knowledge, not only of the species 
occurring in this lake, but of their exact distribution, and the situ- 
ations in which they were found most abundant. Sufficient numbers 
of each species were preserved to give the best possible idea of its 
food, and of the general system of relations by which the organisms 
of such a body of water are held together. Similar work was also 
done in adjacent lakes. The first half of November was spent by 
me in Southern Illinois, whither I went for a further study of the 
insects injurious to the strawberry. I also improved the opportunity 
to make collections for a study of the autumnal food of the common 
birds of Southern Illinois, and returned by way of Champaign, for 
an examination of the winter state of the chinch bug, in the fields 
near that place. In addition to the trips above enumerated, the entire - 
country about Normal, over a radious of from ten to fifteen miles, 
has been regularly searched, at every favorable opportunity. In this 
vicinity, especially, careful studies were made of the life histories of 
the chinch bug, the corn-root worm, the cucumber aphis, and such 
other injurious insects as became either numerous or destructive 
enough to attract attention: During the two seasons covered by this 
report, the time spent in the field for zodlogical work by myself and 
my assistants amounted to fifty-one weeks. 
FIELD BOTANY. 
The sum of $500 per annum was appropriated at the last session - 
of the Legislature for field work in botany, and Mr. A. B. Seymour, 
a thorough student of the lower fungi, was engaged for this purpose. 
In order to enable him to spend all his time in the actual acctmula- 
tion of specimens, Miss Rachel M. Fell was detailed to receive his 
material, as it arrived at the laboratory daily by express, to put it 
through the press and prepare it for the herbarium. 
July and the first half of August, 1881, were spent by him in 
McLean, Champaign and Piatt counties. He then visited Lake, Kane _ 
and McHenry counties, returning by way of South Chicago and 
LaSalle. The latter part of September and the first days of Octo- 
ber he spent in Rock Island, Fulton and Peoria counties. On the 
20th of October, he went to Southern Illinois, and made collections 
in Marion, Union and Jackson counties, returning November 5. The - 
last days of the collecting season he spent at Champaign. In April 
of the following year, he took the field again in Southern Illinois, 
made large collections throughout Union, Pulaski, Alexander and 
Jackson counties, and returned in the latter part of May. Cham- 
paign and LaSalle counties were visited during the first half of June, 
and from June 25 to the 15th of July he collected in Adams county. 
The month of September was spent in Northern Illinois, chiefly © 
along the line of the Illinois Central railroad, from Galena to LaSalle. — 
His last trip was made to Jersey county and the bottoms of the — 
lower part of the Illinois river, during October. Collections in all — 
these regions were confined principally to the parasitic fungi, although — 
he used all opportunities to secure for the Laboratory and independ- 
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