THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 185 



season, from early summer to the present time, flitting about along every 

 road, and hundreds hovering over or alighting in every garden. There is 

 liardly a cabbage or cauliflower fit to be eaten anywhere in the neighbour- 

 hood, while stocks and mignonette have been ruthlessly demolished in all 

 the flower gardens. Its spread westward, however, has hardly been as 

 rapid as its movements to the south. The two maritime provinces of 

 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and all the New England States, have 

 for some time been occupied, and now I am told that this year it is most 

 plentiful as far south as Washington, and that it is by no means rare in 

 Virginia. 



While referring to the wonderful spread of noxious insects during the 

 past few years, and to their excessive prevalence now, I must not omit to 

 mention the affliction caused to our north-west Province of Manitoba and 

 to many of the western States by the swarms of locusts, or grasshoppers 

 as they are termed {Caloptemis spretus). The accounts of the sufferings 

 •caused by this terrible plague are perfectly appalling, and rival anything 

 that we have read of the ravages of the Eastern locusts. Happily for us 

 they do not seem to extend much further to the east than the Missouri 

 River, though, occasionally they penetrate to some of the broad prairies 

 beyond. As a detailed account of this insect will probably be afforded 

 you in the forthcoming Annual Report of our Society, I need Jiot detain 

 you with any further remarks upon it. 



The only other insect to which I need now call your attention for a 

 moment, is the Grape- Vine Phylloxera. I am glad to learn that its rava- 

 ges in the vineyards to the south of us have been comparatively trifling 

 this year, and that in all probability the summer droughts to which we are 

 so liable, will prevent its ever being as formidable a foe as was at one time 

 apprehended. 



To turn from this not very cheerful subject, I may mention, before 

 concluding, that Mr. Saunders and myself duly attended the recent meet- 

 ing at Hartford, Conn., of the American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. There we had the pleasure of meeting a large number of 

 Entomologists from all parts of the United States, and we had the further 

 gratification also, of being presided over, in general session, by the ablest 

 of American Entomologists, Dr. Leconte, and in the Zoological Section, 

 by another great worker in our department, Mr. S. H. Scudder. Infor- 

 mal meetings of Entomologists were frequently held, and finally it was 

 agreed upon to form an Entomological Club of Members of the A.A.A.S., 

 who should assemble annually a day before the meeting of the Association 



