182 THP: CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



possessor of a volume published in New England by Dr. Harris, under 

 the title of " Insects Injurious to Vegetation in Massachusetts," and this, 

 although a very useful work, only partially met the wants of the practical 

 farmer. Dr. Fitch, State Entomologist for New York, had published his 

 first nine reports, and was almost the only active laborer in this important 

 department of insects injurious to agriculture, but his works were not 

 accessible to many in this country. 



In scientific Entomology but little had been done in Canada up to 

 this period. Several catalogues of the names of insects captured in this 

 country had appeared in the " Canadian Naturalist," the organ of the 

 Natural History Society of Montreal, and the occurrence of several rare 

 species of butterflies had been noted. Messrs. Wm. Couper and E. Bil- 

 lings, of Montreal, had also communicated some papers to the same 

 journal urging the importance of the study of Entomology and referring 

 to the habits of some of the pine borers and other prominent insects ; but 

 the circulation of the " Naturalist " was so limited that the information 

 given reached but few in the community. 



The Entomological Society of Canada at first had no funds to enable 

 them to publish reports of their proceedings beyond the small sum derived 

 from the annual fees of the members, but among these were a number of 

 active workers, who, by careful and systematic observation and study, 

 were rapidly accumulating stores of knowledge which were destined to be 

 of much value in the future to the great commiuiity of farmers and horti- 

 culturists. At first the proceedings of the infant Society were published 

 in the Canadian Journal, but soon it was felt to be most desirable, in order 

 to give them the prominence they deserved, that the records of facts 

 observed by the members should be published in a separate form, and 

 early in 1867 an effort Avas made to obtain some assistance from the 

 Canadian Government to aid the Society in carrying out this object ; but 

 at a meeting held on the ist of Jime, 1867, a communication was pre- 

 sented from the Finance Minister of the United Provinces to the effect 

 that he could not recommend any fresh grants for scientific objects, as the 

 country Avas on the eve of confederation. The annual report of the 

 Secretary presented at this meeting showed that the membership had been 

 increased to 48. The meeting was to have been followed by a field day, 

 but the Fenian Raid, which just then occurred, called some of the mem- 

 bers away to their duty as volunteers, and others to the defence of their 

 homes. 



