22 

 REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIUAL BRANCH. 



To the Council of the Otta'ca Field- Naturalists Club : 



In entomoloo^ical work we liave to record some increase of activity. 

 Sab-excursions were held weekly throughout the season, at which at 

 least one of the leaders was always present. While valuable and ex- 

 tensive collections and records were made in nearly all of the orders of 

 insects, the Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera received special attention. 

 A ^ew facts are given regarding the collections in each order. 



Hymenoptera. It was announced last year in the report of the 

 branch that a number of species new to Canadian lists had been 

 already collected at Ottawa, and that Abbe Provancher had determined 

 some of the captures to be species new to science. He has since pub- 

 lished in "Le Naturaliste Canadian" descriptions of many new species 

 contained in the division Terebrantia, which includes saw-flies, ichneu- 

 mons, gall-forming, flies, etc. In this extensive division the Ottawa 

 collections have already yielded nearly 100 new species, besides many 

 species not hitherto recorded from Canada, and some of great rarity. 



The collections made during the past summer have as yet been 

 only partially classified, but it is found that many species not formerly 

 observed have been captured. 



Oryssus Sayi, Westw. was found upon old maple trees near Hull, 

 both emerging from, and ovipositing in, the dead trunk. The life 

 history of these generally rare insects was, we think, not before 

 definitely known. Xiphychia albicornis was again coitimon in the city, 

 where it oviposits in our maples, especially attacking the trees which 

 have been newly set out along the streets. Selandria rosoi, the rose 

 saw-fly or slug, was unusually abundant. At the recent excursion to 

 Buckingham it was seen in large numbers, and on roses beyond Hull 

 it was very destructive. In the city it did much damage. Emphijtus 

 maculatus, the strawberry-sawfly, also appeared to be more common 

 than usual. Messa hyalina was bred in large numbers from the galls 

 which cover and disfigure the leaves of the willows which have been 

 planted by some of our citizens. 



Lepidoptera. The season was decidely a bad one for butterflies 

 and moths. Biiglit, hot days were few, and when they did occur there 



