Evening star., 1922-08-20


~ gallery. but most of them are
reserved for criminals only.
The city of Washington is
unique in that 1t possesses "rogues
gallery" exclusively for insects.
Injurious insects cost the taxpayers
in the United States more than
S1.500.0oo.o00 annually. The boil
weevif alone has eaten half a billion
dollars worth of cotton since 1t was
introduced from Mexico thirty years
ago. Practically all of these crimi-
nails are of foreign origin. Some
slipped into the country unnoticed
several years ago. When discovered
the pests had become deeply in
trenched that it was impossible to
wipe them out
To prevent the further immigration
OF undesirable aliens the federal
horticultural board was established a
few years ago. Its agents inspect all
vessels and cargoes entering Ameri-
can harbors. If they discover any
stowaways aboard they send them
Immediately to the 'rogues' gallery
in the United States National Museum
for Identification. If injurious the
shipments in which they are found
are quarantined and the stowaways
are dep0tted.
***
uow are they identified? More than
100000 different kinds Of in
sects are known and 5000 new va
rieties are being described every
year.
No one scientist could possibly
know them all. He must limit him.
self to one particular class of insects.
Eighteen specialists are employed by
the Department of Agriculture in this
important work of Identifying speci-
mems. Obviously. the efficiency of
their work depends upon their hav-
Ing access, for purposes of compari-
son. to a large. we'll classified COL
lection of insects from all parts of
the world. Hence, the rogues' gall
lery.
More than 100000 specimens have
been mounted, labeled and classified
SO that they are Immediately avail
able to Investigators. 1t is not only
sects in the world, but 1t is one of the
greatest economic Importance. No
other collection is used for identih-
cation purposes on SO large a scale.
The Department of Agriculture is
hghting on the offensive. Instead of
waiting for Injurious insects to in
wade this country. scientific spies are
sent out to foreign lands where dam
gerous insects are believed to exist.
They study them. learn their habits
and bring back specimens for the
rogues' gallery.
DIR. William NJ. Mann. one of these
special investigators in the division
of insects, has just returned to
Washington after having spent
eleven months STUDYING South Amer
ican insects in the central part of
of fruit flies, because large shipments
of bananas and other tropical fruits
are being imported from that section.
He did not confine his activities to
fruit flies, however. He returned
with an extensive general collection
of insects, and a number of mammals
for the Washington Zoo.
Dr. Mann rides his hobby to work
He has been collecting insects since he
was a boy In Helena. Mont. His travels
in search Of rare and unusual speci-
mems have taken him to the uttermost
parts of tho globe. At Leland Stan.
ford University he majored In ento-
molosy and acted as laboratory assist
ant In that department. During his
GUNNER vacations he studied insect life
tn southern California, New Mexico and
Arizona. The year he graduated, 1911,
he accompanied the Stanford expedition
10 Brazil As entomoloEist. This was
his first extensive trip as a scientific
explorer.
Upon his return he entered the grad
uate school at Harvard University. He
made many excursions to foreign fields
on the strength Of a travelling fellow
ship in entomology. which he won
shortly after his arrival at Cambridge.
He visited Haito. the Bahama Islands,
Cuba. Asiatic Turkey and the Holy
Land. He followed the Biblical route
from Egype to Palestine. In 1915 he
received his degree as doctor of science.
The next two years he spent among
the peoples of the South Seas. espe-
ciaily on the Fiji Islands.
\ \ + 4 ~
THE recent expedition to Bolivia was
organized by DR.. H. H. Rusby of
Columbia University. who was particu-
iariy interested in the medicinal plants
Of South America. He invited DIR.
Mann. Dr.. o. e. White Of the Brooklyn
botanic gardens and N. E. Pearson Of
the University Of Indiana to accom-
pany him. TWO movie camera men