194 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ready apprehension. But more than this the magnitude of our country 

 is fully equalled by the magnitude of the insect hosts, and to know all of 

 these, with their full life history, requires an incalculable amount of closest 

 research. But our business economy demands this for all our species : 

 for so wonderful is the balance of nature, so close the relations of all 

 species of life, that really we may hardly divide insects into those im- 

 portant and those unimportant in our agricultural economy. All are 

 important ; and so from an economic, no less than a scientific standpoint, 

 it is desirable that all such research be widely encouraged, and it is a 

 most hopeful omen — the rapid increase of earnest and trained workers. 

 I shall not in this address occupy time by giving the peculiarities of the 

 season in respect to insects, nor yet call attention to interesting dis- 

 coveries, like the importation of the Vedalia cai'dinalis. All these will 

 be brought out in papers and discussions. I must, however, refer to the 

 new association for the advancement of economic entomology, which was 

 organized at Toronto a year ago, and which held its first meeting at 

 Washington last November. This meeting, under the Presidency of Dr. 

 Riley, was a valuable one ; and that society promises much for the 

 science of entomology, as well as for its economic development. It is 

 also a matter of much interest that a new paper — " Insect News " — is 

 started at that great centre of entomology — Philadelphia — which will also 

 do much every way for our science. This, with the very excellent 

 periodical " Insect Life," published by the Entomological Division of 

 the Department of Agriculture, can but give new impetus to entomo- 

 logical research. In addition to these, we have an addition to Prof. 

 Comstock's admirable work, which, when completed, will form a most 

 valuable adjunct in the development of entomology. If we may judge 

 from what we already have, this will be invaluable in every entomological 

 laboratory. When the Society of Economic Entomologists was organized 

 a year ago it was remarked by one of our first entomologists that that 

 move sounded the death-knell of this Club. I then remarked that such 

 ought not to be the case. That Society is to be composed only of those 

 interested in economic entomology, and of course will only put emphasis 

 in the direction of the practical aspects of the science ; this more or less 

 of entomologists in a wider sense, and so will include those interested in 

 practical entomology and also in the science without relation to utility. 

 The Club then may well continue. I believe it will live and thrive, and 



