THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 177 



Rhyncophora of the United States or Dominion of Canada, which are 

 sent us, provided that the return of the specimens sent is not required. 

 The subject has been such an extremely troublesome one, and there are 

 still so many uniques in our cabinets, that they need filling up in order to 

 give them that value for future reference which I hope they will possess, 

 and it will also be desirable for the proper recognition of the new genera 

 and species, many of which are very abundant, that specimens should be 

 distributed to foreigners, who have studied this difficult group of objects. 



The excellent volume of Dr. A. S. Packard, jr., " Monograph of the 

 Geometrid Moths of the United States," forming Vol. X of the United 

 States Geological Survey of the Territories, requires special mention 

 among the contributions to Entomology since our last meeting. We owe 

 the existence of this volume to the enlightened policy of Dr. F. V. Hay- 

 den, Geologist-in-Chief of the Survey, and I hope that a continued 

 appreciation by the National Legislature of the importance of the work 

 done and published by the Survey, will ensuie us many future volumes 

 of similar merit. 



The ordinary routine work of the description of new genera and 

 species, is going on in the various orders of insects with about the usual 

 degree of rapidity. But from every one comes the same complaint : Too 

 many new forms to be described ! 



The observations on economic applications of Entomology for the 

 protection of agriculture are also advancing in a most commendable 

 manner, considering that the public and their servants in office still fail to 

 recognize the magnitude of the interests involved. 



References to the memoirs contained in the volumes of reports, and 

 to isolated papers in agricultural and other journals, will be found in 

 Psyche, a periodical, which, though small, is indispensable to every one 

 occupied in the study of the insects of North America. 



I would gladly stop here, but a truthful instinct, a sense of duty to 

 science, and my obligation to you alike forbid silence. I have to speak 

 of a subject of a disagreeable nature. 



It is concerning the efforts made by you and other members of the 

 Association at the last meeting at Detroit, to procure the appointment of 

 a Commission for the protection of agriculture against noxious insects : 

 this Commission to be composed of properly informed men of science, 

 and chosen under such circumstances as would prevent the influence of 

 political bias, or personal favoritism. If I do not fatigue your memory 

 too much, you will recollect the memorials that were so extensively signed 



