.{() THE REPORT ()F TIIK No. 19 



Ijjichine canal iiiul near the acjueduct. Low down 'n front of the huihlinj^ was an arc li^ht. 

 Attracted Vjy this was an innuuicrablo com pan} of Neuroptora. Both the variety of species 

 and the number of each kind were surprisinj^. It was a calm, soft evening, a very gala time 

 for the Neuroptera. In the aHsemhly were the beautifully striped Macrunaytui ^e6r«ii<m,Hagen, 

 the elegant Udodvn exiptimtoi ^ Walker, with its golden spotted border, and the diaphanous. 

 Cldoruperla bilitieata, Say. 



VI. By the word life we sometimes understand a life history. 



Scattered through tiic pages of the (Juwuliu'i E'ldumaUxjinl will be found many life-histf.ries 

 of various kinds of insects. They may not, by the general reader, be deemed as valuable as 

 " Plutarcli's Lives," or " Walton's Lives" ; but to entomologists they are deeply interesting ; 

 and we gladly welcome every addition to their number. 



Among the most wondeifiil of the nisect life histories I have read, are those of Jl<>rm<(])his 

 liunuimelidiH, Fitch, and llanuimel.ititcH spiihuans, Shinier. They appear in " Technical Serien, 

 No. 9, L'.S. Departnient of Agriculture," and are written by Mr. Pergande. Tlie creatures 

 whose lives are recorded are twosJ)ecieso^ plant-lice inhabiting both the witch-hazel and the birch. 

 Mr. Pergande tells us that, — " Tlie study of the life hintory of these, after nunn rous 

 failures and disaijpointments, coi^eriny n space of twoity-tivo years of patie'ut labour" was at 

 length brought to a successful conclusion. I will speak only of the first named insect. 



It lays its eggs in October upon the branches and twigs of the witch-hazel. They produce 

 stem-mothers, which in colour are of a dull black, and are set with white, iridescent waxy rods. 

 Around each of these stem-mothers a gall is formed within which it lives. It changes its skin 

 three times before attaining its growth. It then brings forth its progeny (numbering 100 or 

 120) within the gall. These are the minraids. They grow rapidly, changing their skins four 

 times. At the last change they become winged, 'i'liey leave the gall at the end of May and 

 seek, and settle upon, the l)lack birch, 'i'hey are of a dark purjylish colour and have colourless 

 or slightly duuky wings. 



Kaeh migrant deposits about lifty larvif upon the under side of the birch leaves. The 

 larvii' change their skins three times, and then present an extraordinary appearance. They 

 are almost round and Hat, and have a fringe of cylindrical waxy rods. Their body colour is 

 dusky brown, or black ; and, in the fringe, the lowest third of each rod is white, and the other 

 two-thirds glassy and iridescent. The insects at this stage are closely cemented to the leaf. 

 After two generations more, and about the end of August, comes the sixth generation or return 

 mujranls which undergo four changes — becoming pupa) at the fourth. These pupsu proiluco 

 the winged insects that return to the witch-hazel. The migration continues throughout Sep- 

 teml)er. From these return migrants comes a brood of wingless males and femiles, the latter 

 of which deposit their eggs upon the witch-hazel twigs in October, as was at first htated. 



We have dwelt upon insect life in the dilleient meanings in which the term is used. I 

 trust that your interest in tlie subject will not, end with this night's i)roceodings. All around 

 us, and all the time, there are natural object,s and workings of nature deserving of our close 

 attention. " For everything there is a purpose, and in everything there is a meaning, if only 

 we have the eyes to see it, and the hearts to understand it." The Fntomological Society of 

 Ontario was intended to be, and is, a guide to nature studies. If any gentleman present be 

 not a member of the Society, I invite him to join it. In entomological pursuits ho will learn 

 lessons of (Jod's power and goodness that will strengthen his higher life ; he will acijuire infor- 

 iiiiition that will bo of interest and service to him all his life long. His presence at our meet- 

 ings will give now life to our proceedings, lie w^l lind new interests and pleasures that will 

 banish ennui from the life he leads ; and in the end, if ho has proved a useful Inomber of the 

 Society, the editor of the day will, I doubt not, irrile his life-Iiislnry for Die />«;/c.s of the 

 " Caudtlian Kidoinoloijisi " ! ! 



