The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-20

been largely aug mentsd by additional
species. It now contains about 1000
determined speoies. There are probably
upward Of 5000 species In the territory.
The Lepidoptera, including moths and
butterflies, are perhaps the next best
studied group. About 600 species have
been determined. There are probably
close 10 1000 species.
The collection Of Diptera, consisting
OF flies of ono kind and another, contains
over t,ioO named species, with o great
many more to determine. Tho number
Of species will exceed $500.
The Hymcnoptera. in which wasps.
beee and ants ore prominent, have as O
whole been tho least studied, only about
800 species being determined. IL 10
thought that collectors will ultimately
turn In as many as $500 species.
In the Hemiptera, which Includes the
true bugo, cicadas, aphids and others, the
Mb--order Heteroptera 10 very well studied
md contains YER 200 species. while u the
sub-order Homoptera there are only about
100 species, with q large number to deter
mine. . The Hemiptera will probably num-
Der about 600 species.
The collection OF Orthoptera. compris-
ing cockroaches, crickets, looCstsl grass
hoppers aad ~ltetydids. contains about
eighty species. There are In New England
about las species. Under the term neu-
ropteroid insects there are about 200 de-
termined species. while about 500 are prob
ably represented in the fauna,
Altogether in this collection, which Is
one to which any professional student OF
New England insects would naturally
turn for accurate and classified informa-
ton, there arc about 5000 determined
species, whilo o conservative estimate for
the number Of. insect species In the six
States Ii 1900. This furthermore in
cludes only the true insects, outside Of
which type are many creatures which the
ordinary meu GLASSES among the bugs.
There ere. for instance, In New England
ebout 100 different spiders, which COM
bined with mites. myriapods end allied
creatures would certainly number over
500 species.
The insect fem. Of New England Is, to
be sure, somewhat oonyele1. since 1t is de-
rived In part from four life zones, the Ca.
madam and the transition rome covering
respectively the greater part Of tho north
ern end the southern half Of the region.
while along tire southern shore and for
some distance up the Connecticut are
traces Of the Upper Austral end on the
submits Of Mount vi .shirgton and Mount
Katahdiu yemnants Of the Arctic.
The pie belt he's thus a rather unusual
variety Of insects IS of weethsrs. At
the seine time a detailed analysis Of the
present condition In the largest insect
collection Of any other section OF the
country would probably show as great
q discrepancy between what has already
been accurately determined end what
remains to DO determined.
Not only It Ia H,thoritativeiy stated,
have BY no means all the actual ply steal
facts about the $1,000 or more insect
species that irhabit the United States
been recorded but still less have their
relations to the health and comfort Of
humanity and the domestic animals been
investigated with reference to methods
OF destroying or subjugatiIg those species
thc.t are an annoyance or q menace to
civilization.
When disease bearing insects are q
toned wen the expert stil meeas mostly
mosquitoes of the ger era Stcgomyia end
Auopheles and g few Of the common flies,
such as the house ty. There are, however,
hundreds Of species Of flies whose habits
as regards conveyance OF germs await
investigation, end there are feas rightly
named Siphonaptera. about fifty species
Of them in this country, some living on
and some In the skin Of human beings
or other creatures aud all presumably
having certain power Of earring trouble
from one individual to another. Some
Psychologists are said to be considering
the likelihood that the rat flea 10 IN
st umental In the spread Of the buoonic
plague.
Comparatively little is known about
the activities Of many OF the other orders
Of insects In transmitting maladies that
aflict man. beast or vegetation. The
likelihood that many do this 10 easily
~oonjecturoi. Twelve thousand different
beetles fly about In North America north
OF Mexico. There are almost innumer-
able lice Of one kind and another. degen-7
crate descendants Of winged ancestors;
numerous parasitic hyrnenoptera, some
times with seoondqfy snd even tertiary
parasites proving On them. as in the time
honorei rhyme; shnd flies, May flies
and the simple bodfei, simple souled
aptera, many spcnies Of which are house
hold presoncos II not household pets;
oockroache5, few In number OF species
but numerous as individuals are counted;
dragon flies. voracious feeders on o
quitoes and commonly regarded as
AMONG mans best friends. Intimate
acquaintance with the ways OF these and
many othor bugs will be prerequisite to
anti-fy campaigns OF the future. u,
30 that although 1t Is now nearly thirty
wears since scientific economic entomology
began in this country when Prof. c. v.
Riley, Government entomoloEist, CO.
operated with California experts in bring
ing here An Australian ladybird TO check
a scale that was affecting the citrous
fruit, the evidence contindes to accunti-
late that the now entomology hos a big
job on Its hands. For a long time II will
be an experimental science. with many
surprises for the experimenters.
A typical cass OF tho completely Of
the problems Of the economic entonol-
ogist appeared IN the summers work
Of a biological expert who was called
from the Yves. last spring to Massaohu-
sstts to discover II possible q dis sase
that would help TO sweep oil The gypsy