1903 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 55 



at London. Un Tuesday evenings several young men have met fcr the systematic study of 

 insects under the guidance of Dr. Bethune and Mr. Moflfat ; on Thursdays the Geological Section 

 has continued, with unabated enthusiasm, to discuss the rocks and minerals of the surrounding 

 country ; on alternate Saturdays the Microscopical Section has met throughout the winter to 

 investigate the hidden things of nature and study the beautiful forms which cannot be seen with 

 the unaided eye. Once a month, on Fridays, the Ornithological Section, has gathered together 

 at the house of Mr. W. E. Saunders ; the numerous papers by its members, published in the 

 'Ottawa Naturalist, testify to the energy and zeal with which they have devoted themselves to 

 the study of bird life. During the summer the Botanical Section took the place of the Micro- 

 scopical and held many interesting meetings. One field excursion only was made to Komoka, 

 « favourite collecting ground near London ; it was thoroughly enjoyed by the few botanists and 

 entomologists who attended. 



The Branches of the Society at Montreal and Quebec, the former of which has flourished 

 for twenty-eight years, report that they have had a very satisfactory season, regular meetings 

 Slave been held and many excellent and interesting papers were presented ; a few field days 

 have also been found very enjoyable and have helped much in stimulating the ardour of those 

 who attend them. The Toronto Branch, like that at Quebec, is now five years old, but it has 

 ■not received nearly so much encouragement and support as its twin-sister in the lower Province. 

 Why the " Queen City of the West " should furnish so few entomologist is difficult to under- 

 stand ; it has the advantage of many distinguished seats of learning, several extensive libraries, 

 a number of scientific Professors, and a rich and easily accessible country for exploration. 

 Notwithstanding their limited numbers, the members of the Branch have held frequent meet- 

 ings, at which several excellent papers were read, and have made good progress in the formation 

 of a collection of insects for the Ontario Department of Education. 



A noteworthy feature of the Society's work is the delivery of popular lectures by competent 

 members. Dr. James Fletcher has given a large number on insects, noxious weeds and nature 

 study, in various places in Ontario, Manitoba, the North West Territories and British Columbia ; 

 Dr. Bethune has lectured, chiefly to schoolchildren and Horticultural Societies, in London and 

 a number of towns not far distant, on noxious, interesting and beneficial insects ; and Mr. W. 

 E. Saunders has addressed teachers and other assemblies in Montreal, Ottawa and other places 

 as well as in London, on the Birds of Canada. These lectures have been well attended and 

 listened to with great interest, and will evidently do much to awaken and stimulate a love for 

 natural history and a desire to know more about the wonders in plant and animal life that 

 everywhere surround us. 



The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Society was held in London in November last and 

 was atf,ended by the Hon. J. Dryden, Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, and a number of 

 members from difi"erent places. The proceedings opened with a discussion on the San Jose 

 scale, its ravages in Ontario and the best methods of keeping if under control ; much useful 

 information was given by Mr. G. E. Fisher, Provincial Inspector of Scale insects. Dr. Fletcher 

 the Dominion Entomologist and Professor Webster, State Entomologist of Ohio. An evening 

 meeting, to which the public were invited, was held in the Normal School building ; the Hon. 

 J. Dryden took the chair and gave the opening address, in the course of which he said that the 

 Entomological Society was one of the best as well as the oldest of the associations aided by the 

 Government of Ontario, that " we need its accurate work and we have been greatly aided and 

 helped by it during all the nearly forty years of its existence, and no doubt shall continue to 

 be helped by it during the years to come ". The Rev Dr. Fyles, of Quebec, the President of 

 the Society, gave an address on "The importance of Entomological Studies to the community 

 at large ", illustrating his remarks with a beautifully executed series of diagrams, the work of 

 his own hand. He was followed by Dr. Fletcher, who spoke on " The value of nature study in 



