44 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 36 



The field offered by our immense territory for scientific research in Ento- 

 mology, and for practical application of knowledge so acquired is almost unlimited. 

 The great number of our insects, the ease with which they may be everywhere 

 collected, their rare beauty of form and colouring, their complicated structures, 

 interesting modifications, and remarkable metamorphoses which have thrown so 

 many sidelights on problems in evolution make the study of entomology as fas- 

 cinating as any upon which the young zoologist can enter. The great destruction 

 wrought by so many of our insect pests renders the studies of the Economic Entomol- 

 ogist absolutely necessary. Along both these lines the Society is doing active work. 



I am glad to report that the library and collections of the Society are grad- 

 ually increasing in value. 



The forty-seventh annual meeting was held at Guelph on November 3rd and 

 4th, with a good attendance of the active members. An account of the papers 

 read, and of the discussions, will be found in the Annual Eeport of the Society, 

 to appear in a few days. The following items from the programme of the 

 meeting will indicate the nature of the work presented. 



"The spread of Diseases among Plants, Animals and Man, by Acarids,'^ by 

 Professor Jarvis; "Leaf -eating Beetles," by F. J. A. Morris; "Collecting in the 

 White Mountains," by H. H. Lyman; "The Bean Maggot in Ontario in 1910,'' 

 by J. E. Howitt; "Notes on some Insects of 1910," and a paper on "The Pool," 

 by Dr. T. W. Fyles; "The Horse-radish Flea-beetle," by A. F. Winn; "Further 

 Notes on Basswood Insects," and " The Entomological Eecord for 1910," by A. 

 Gibson ; " Some Observations on the Practical Importance of Parasitic Insects " ; 

 "'Parthenogenesis among Bees," by Dr. Hewitt; "Notes on the Breeding of Tropi- 

 dopria conica," by G. E. Sanders, of Ottawa; " Scolytid Beetles attacking the 

 Larch," by J. M. Swaine ; " The Migration of some Native Locusts in Manitoba," 

 by N. Griddle. 



The annual lecture was given by Professor Needham of Cornell University. 

 He discussed " The Eole of Insects in Water Life." In an eloquent and instruc- 

 tive address, illustrated by lantern slides. Professor Needham explained to the 

 Society the work in an entirely new field of economic research now being carried 

 on at Cornell under his direction. The dry lands of the west are being reclaimed 

 by irrigation. Before their canals are finished. Professor Needham's work will 

 have shown the way to the utilization of great tracts of marsh and swamp, now 

 utterly useless. 



The Society's publication, the Canadian Entomologist, has appeared regularly, 

 and continues to be one of the most valu^able of Entomologic journals. Dr. E. M. 

 Walker, the present editor, is maintaining the high standard set by his predecessor, 

 Professor Bethune. The forty-second volume, which closed in December, 1910, 

 contained over 400 pages, eight full-page plates, besides text figures, and nearly 100 

 articles. 



THE BEITISH COLUMBIA ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I take pleasure in recording this year's proceedings of the British Columbia 

 Entomological Society. The meeting was held in the Aberdeen School, Vancouver, 

 on December 9th, 1911. Mr. Wilson acted as chairman and an interesting pro- 

 gramme was rendered. The following were the papers presented : 



