1000] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 29 



the owners of orchards in the infested districts should be warned of their danger and 

 nrged to take prompt and effective measures for the repression of the pest. A hearty 

 vote of thanks was given to Mr. Fisher for coming to the meeting and affording so much 

 useful information. 



EVENING MEETING, WEDNESDAY, NOT. 14th. 



The meeting was called to order by the President, the Rev. Dr. Fyles, who spoke of 

 the successful gathering the night before when we joined with the London Horticultural 

 Society in a most popular and most interesting meeting. It was quite proper he thought 

 that the consideration of Horticultural topics should take precedence of Entomological, 

 for Adam tilled the garden of Eden before the animals were brought before him to be 

 named. He then gave some amusing instances of the tremendously long names that 

 some of Adam's entomological descendants had been inflicting upon innocent species of 

 insects. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 

 By the Rev. T. W. Fyles, D. C. L., F. L. S., South Quebec. 



At our annual meetings, Injurious Insects — their ravages and how to check them, 

 have very properly received a great deal of attention. In a population such as ours, large- 

 ly engaged in agricultural, horticultural and fruit-growing pursuits, such subjects are of 

 never failing interest ; and our economic entomologists when they treat of thetn are very 

 sure to receive attention. To-night I venture to direct your thoughts to a different phase 

 of insect life, and to operations that are beneficial to vegetation ; and I trust that we shall 

 spend a short time pleasantly in the consideration of our insect friends, and the offices 

 they serve for promoting the fecundity and iaaprovement of plants. 



Dr. Gray did so much to bring tho science of Botany into popularity on this continent, 

 and in Canada our excellent public schools have so effectively taken the subject into the 

 curriculum of school-work, that now, when addressing an audience upoa the inscrumea- 

 tality of insects for the fertilizition of blossoms, it is hardly necessary to dwell upon the 

 various re-productive plant-organs. A few brief statements to put you in remembrance of 

 these will be sufficient on this occasion. 



You know then that in the blossoms of a large proportioa of plants there are, in the 

 centre of each blossom, first, at the base, the carpels, and upon them the styles surmounted 

 by the stigmas — these are the female organs. Around them are, secondly, the stamens 

 or male organs each consisting of a filament bearing an anther containing pollen-grains. 

 When these grains are ripe the anther bursts, and the pollen is scattered by various 

 agencies. 



For the fertilization of the blossoms it is necessary that some of the pollen-grains 

 should alight upon the stigmas of the female organs. So alighting they adhere, because of 

 a glutinous exudation from the stigmas ; and, in a short time, there descends from each 

 of them a sort of radicle, or very fine tube, which works its way down the style, and 

 thiough, or between, the integuments, till it enters the micropyle and mingles its juices 

 with those of the ovule. The work of fertilization is then complete , and the ovule produces 

 a seed, which in due time and under favourable circumstances will produce a plant like unto 

 that from which it sprang. 



The blossoms of the wild rose, the apple, and the cherry are familiar instances of 

 these bisexual flowers. 



In many other kinds of plants there are both male and female blossoms — staminate 

 blossoms and carpellate blossoms — growing on the same plant. Call to mind a field of 

 Indian corn {Zea mays), well planted, well cultivated, and in full bloom. Such a field is 

 a sight to gladden the owner's heart, and to excite the admiration of every thoughtful 

 beholder. The tall plants tower over head, each surmounted by the graceful panicle of 

 male blossoms, the anthers of which dangle like bells from the sloping roof of a Chinese 

 pagoda, and scatter the dust of pollen at every puff of air or other disturbance. Be ow 

 bursting from their leafy wrappers are the stigmas of the carpellary blossoms spreadin 



