10 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



problems wliich. have arisen with the sudden appearance in destructive 

 numbers of many injurious insect pests; and also in presenting to the public 

 in its publications, the Canadian Entomologist and the Annual Reports, a 

 vast amount of valuable knowledge, by which science has been enriched and 

 enormous sums of money have been saved to Canada at a disaproportion- 

 ately small expenditure. All of this has been done at the cost of much self 

 sacrifice, but quietly and without ostentation. In this good work, this great 

 work, there are, however, two names which I cannot refrain from mention- 

 ing, William Saunders and Charles J. S. Bethune. These two men to whom 

 we owe so much, were associated together in founding the society, and from 

 that time to the present day have been, with their energy, patience, discre- 

 tion and unfailing courtesy, main stays of its progress and healthy growth. 

 Without undue glorification, it is well that our members should recollect 

 the long period over which this work of unbroken activity has extended ; and 

 it behoves us to see well to it that, as members of such a worthy society, 

 our very best efforts are put forth in all the work we do, to take the fullest 

 advantage of the greater facilities we enjoy to-day over those who have pre- 

 ceded us in our chosen field. Let us never forget the debt we owe to the 

 pioneers of science. The results of the dearly bought experience of the past 

 form a solid foundation of fact upon which we now stand firmly and confi- 

 dently, to enter upon new fields of investigation. The status of entomologi- 

 cal research to-day is far different from what it was even ten years ago. The 

 number of devotees to these attractive studies is easily a hundredfold greater 

 than then. The same may be said of almost every aspect of the case: — the 

 available works of reference, the greater facilities and decreased cost of 

 communicating with others, of local or distant travel, and, above all, the 

 spirit of helpfulness to others less informed than themselves, so conspicuous- 

 ly exhibited by specialists in every branch of scientific study. 



We in Canada can never over-estimate what we owe to the generosity 

 and ever-ready assistance of the eminent fellow-workers in the great republic 

 to the south of our borders, who have made America the chief fountain head 

 and acknowledged centre of applied entomolgy. The names of such men as 

 Riley, Walsh, Lintner, Howard, Comstock, Forbes, Webster, Smith, Mar- 

 latt, Felt and a host of others too numerous to mention, are known and 

 honoured the whole world over, but nowhere more sincerely than in Canada,, 

 where we owe so much to them. As we all know, it is very seldom that an 

 outbreak of any serious pest occurs in any part of the Dominion, but we 

 can at once by consulting the writings of these men, learn all that is known 

 of the habits of the insect and what the experience of many students has 

 shown to be the best means of dealing with it. In entomolgy, at any rate, 

 whether purely scientific or applied to the industries of the nation, there is 

 no recognition of international boundary lines, unless perhaps it may be as 

 an excuse for extending exceptional courtesies. Canadians are welcomed as 

 freely at all the great conferences in the United States and have as full 

 privileges of membership open to them as though they were freebom citi- 

 zens of the Union. At the recent organization of the Entomological Society 

 of America, the most important entomological society in the world, two of 

 the ofl&cers of this society were elected as original fellows and placed on the 

 council, one of them being made a Vice-President. vSince then tw^o more 

 members of our Council have been elected to fellowships, a highly coveted 

 honour. 



On the other hand, I need not remind you of the inspiring visits and 

 addresses we have been favoured with at our recent annual meetings by Dr. 

 Howard, Prof. Webster, Dr. Smith, Prof. Wickham, Dr. Skinner and our 



