THE ENTOMOLOGICAL RECORD, 1909. 

 By Arthur Gibson, Ottawa. 



The weather conditions of 1909, on the whole, in Canada, were particularly 

 well suited for the growth of vegetation of all kinds. In eastern Ontario, com- 

 paratively speaking, there were few really hot days, and these not until about the 

 middle of August. Injurious insects were not complained of to such an extent 

 as they were in 1908. Many collectors have commented on the scarcity of insects, 

 even of many of the commoner forms. As is always the case, however, desirable 

 species have been collected by those who have worked assiduously throughout the 

 season. In Manitoba, Mr. Norman Criddle reported that the season was a most 

 peculiar one, the evenings being particularly bright, for which reason it was almost 

 impossible to attract any moths to lights. In the early part of the season, too, there 

 was an exceptional outbreak of plant lice of all kinds, and it was noticed that night- 

 flying moths frequented trees, mostly Manitoba maples and oaks, which were in- 

 fested by the aphides, to feed upon their honey dew. The past season was cer- 

 tainly a most remarkable one for plant lice all over Canada. 



During 1909 a good deal of material, collected in previous years, has been 

 worked up by specialists, and notes on some of these are included in this year's 

 Record. Unfortunately, a number of our Canadian collectors have not been as 

 active in 1909 as they were in other years. Undoubtedly the great loss sustained 

 by entomologists generally throughout Canada in the death of Dr. James Fletcher, 

 has had some effect on systematic work. We should, however, now even strive all 

 the more to continue the work he so ardently encouraged. 



Since the appearance of the Entomological Record for 1908, the writer has 

 received letters from many collectors, all of whom expressed the hope that the 

 Record would be continued from year to year. He begs to thank his correspondents 

 for their continued interest and help. 



During 1909 few important expeditions have been made in Canada, as far 

 as the writer knows, for the purpose of collecting and studying insects. Mr. J. B. 

 Wallis, of Winnipeg, Man., spent most of the summer in the Okanagan Valley 

 of British Columbia, and while there collected several thousand specimens which 

 will be gradually worked up. Mr. C. H. Young, of the Geological Survey, Ottawa, 

 while at Ucluelet, B.C., from May to August, collected a good many insects of 

 interest. His work there, however, with Prof. John Macoun, of the same institu- 

 tion, was chiefly connected with the collection and preservation of star fish, crabs 

 and other salt water objects. Mr. Geo. A. Moore, of Montreal, collected hemiptera 

 almost exclusively at North Hatley, Que., in July, and secured much interesting 

 material. The writer spent the whole of August in New Brunswick and Prince 

 Edward Island and brought back collectionts in all orders. 



In 1907 Messrs. Ernest Thompson Seton and E. A. Preble brought back with 

 them from the Great Slave region a small collection of lepidoptera, among which 

 were some interesting species. Mr. Wm. Beutenmuller, of the American Museum of 

 Natural History, New York, has very kindly sent me a list of the species, and 

 mention is made of several of them in this Record. 



As in previous years, Canadian students have again to acknowledge the great 

 help which they have received during the year from specialists in the United 

 States and elsewhere. Those who have specially helped, in 1909, are: Dr. L. 0. 

 Howard, with his assistants, at Washington, D.C. ; Dr. J. B. Smith, of New 

 Brunswick, N.J. ; Sir George Hampson, of the British Museum; Prof. H. F. 



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