THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 213 



ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE— ANNUAL 



ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 



BY E. A. SCHWARZ. 



At the Ann Arbor meeting of our Club, in the year 1885, Prof. John 

 B. Smith proposed as a subject of discussion " How shall we create and 

 foster an interest in the study of Entomology ?" In the discussion a 

 rather gloomy view was then generally taken by the members regarding 

 the general lack of interest in entomology in this country, Prof. Riley 

 alone expressing himself hopefully as to the future outlook. As the best 

 means for creating such interest the production oi a. popular compendium 

 of North American insects was recommended, but the discussion only 

 dwelt upon the difficulties in the way of producing a popular and yet 

 valuable work. 



Now, no one can deny that within the few years that have elapsed 

 since 1885 a great change has taken place, a change which has been 

 alluded to by others, and among them by Prof A. J. Cook in his presi- 

 dential address delivered at the Indianapolis meeting of this Club in 1890. 

 Many new and conscientious workers in the various branches of both pure 

 and applied entomology have appeared ; orders or families of insects 

 hitherto sadly neglected have found competent students ; the life histories 

 and earlier stages of a multitude of insects have been studied and recorded 

 with a thoroughness and exactitude previously rarely attained ; entomo- 

 logical instruction, both of a scientific and practical nature, is now given 

 by competent teachers in many colleges ; the increase in popular interest 

 in entomology is manifested in the many collections that have recently 

 been formed by young beginners \ and, finally, even the newspapers have 

 ceased to make fun of " bug catchers." In short, the combined work of 

 our entomologists from the time of Say and Harris down to our day 

 begins to bear fruit, and has enforced for entomology that recognition 

 among the other sciences which her importance demands. 



An excellent illustration of this change can be found in the records of 

 last year's meeting of our Club, held at Washington. In his admirable 

 address as president of the Club, Prof. Herbert Osborn again proposed 

 the production of a Manual of North American Entomology, but this 

 time not of a popular one to create and foster an interest in the study of 

 entomology, but of a scientific compendium for the use of the advanced 



