Clje dtanaiian Entomologist. 



VOL. XV. LONDON, ONT., OCTOBER, 1883. No. 10 



ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ENTO- 

 MOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



Gentlemen, — Twenty years ago, on the afternoon of the i6th of 

 April, 1863, there met at the rooms of the Canadian Institute in Toronto, 

 nine gentlemen interested in Entomology, for the purpose of organizing a 

 Society having for its object the advancement of Entomology in Canada. 

 These gentlemen had been called by special invitation of the Rev. C. J. 

 S. Bethune and myself, and in addition to the nine who responded by 

 their presence, letters of apology were received from five others, express- 

 ing regret at their being unable to attend ; these fourteen comprised all 

 who at that time took an active interest in Entomology in Canada. 



A Society was duly organized under the name of The Entomological 

 Society of Canada, with the late Professor Croft, of Toronto, as its first 

 President. Two scientific papers on insects were presented and read, and 

 a number of interesting insects exhibited. Application was made to the 

 Council of the Canadian Institute for the use of a room in their building, 

 which was kindly granted free of expense, and it was resolved to hold 

 monthly meetings for the discussion of Entomological subjects. 



In December of the same year a committee was appointed to prepare 

 and publish catalogues of the names of insects in the orders of Coleoptera 

 and Lepidoptera, and in May the following year the committee reported 

 that the list of Lepidoptera had been completed and published, and that 

 considerable progress had been made in determining the species of Cole- 

 optera, but not sufficient to warrant the publication of the catalogue. This 

 catalogue was completed and published shortly after. Before the close of 

 this meeting committees were appointed charged with the special duty of 

 paying particular attention to the study of insects injurious to vegetation. 



Previous to this nothing had been done in Canada in tlie important 

 department of Economic Entomology ; no information was available to 

 the farmer or fruit grower in reference to most of the insect pests which 

 destroyed his field crops or fruit, unless he happened to be the fortunate 



