Michigan, the general Eatomological Club, organized hist year at Hartford, met for the first 

 time. Its sessions, held dail^i throughout the week of meeting, were remarkably interesting. 

 They were presided over by Dr. Le Coute, undoubtedly the greatest of living American Euto- 

 mologists, and were attended by a great majority of the noted Entomologists of this conti- 

 nent. Our own Society was most etliciently represented by our able Editor, Mr. Saunders. 

 I much regret that the pressure of business matters at home prevented me from accompany- 

 ing him, as I fully intended to have done. As a complete report of the proceedings is being 

 published in The Canadian Entomologist, I need not detain you by any account of them 

 here. Ne.vt year the meeting is to be held at Buffalo, N. Y. — a place even more convenient 

 of access for Canadians than Detroit. We trust that a large number of our members will 

 avail themselves of the opportunity — which may not occur again for many years to come — of 

 attending the sessions, and making the personal acquaintance of our American brethren. 

 From past experience I can assure them of a hearty welcome, while no one can doubt tluii 

 more valuable information can be acquired in a few days, in an assemblage of this kind, than 

 can be obtained in years of solitary work. 



During the season that is now all but brought to a close, there has occurred nothing of a 

 very startling or unexpected character. The Colorado Beetle has continued to extend his 

 ravages throughout our country, but he has been met by such a determined and universal re- 

 sistance that his work of devastation has been hardly appreciable ; certainly in the central 

 portion of this Province we have never had a finer crop of potatoes, both as regards quantity 

 and quality. The Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapcr), to which I also referred last year, bus 

 been rapidly extending to the west, and has already become a common object in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London. So closely, however, does its parasite (^Ptcromalus puparum) follow in 

 its wake, that where a year ago it was most destructive to all its food-plants, it has this sea- 

 sou wrought but a moderate amount of damage. The Locusts, or Grasshoppers, of the west 

 {Calopliims spretui<) have continued to commit much havoc, thouijh not by any means on the 

 frightful scale of last year ; there is every prospect that the destitution and suffering then oc- 

 casioned by them will not be repeated to any very great extent this year. While there has 

 been, upon the whole, a decided diminution in the amount of loss occasioned by noxious insects 

 during the past year, we have, nevertheless, to record an increase in the numbers and conse- 

 quent power for evil of several common species that are always more or less abundant. 

 Among the most notable I may mention the Army Worm {Leuamia 7mipunda), which h;« 

 wrought much damage in the maritime Provinces of the Dominion, as well as in some por- 

 tions of the United States ; the two species of Tent Caterpillars (ClUiocampa Americana 

 and Si/ivalica), which have been excessively abundant and destructive to fruit and forest 

 trees in many parts of this Province ; and the Pea Weevil (Jiruchus ^nd), which we much 

 fear may soon become — unless measures are taken to prevent it — a source of great loss to our 

 agriculturists. These I mention as having had a more than usual manifestation this year. 

 Rut I need not detain you with any account of the ordinary work of our insect friends and 

 foes, which are so familiar to every one in this country. 



As I mentioned at the outset, you have done me the great honour of electing me your 

 President for five years in succession. While I thank you most cordially for your kindness 

 and consideration so repeatedly shown to me, I feel that it is only reasonable that I should 

 now make way for some one else, who may be able to devote more time and energy to the in- 

 terests of our Society, and be of more real use to it than I have latterly been capable of. I 

 beg, therefore, to resign into your hands the office that you have so long honoured me with ; 

 at the same time, I desire to say that I shall continue always to have the welfare of the 

 Society at heart, and that I shall ever be ready and willing to do all that lies in my power to 

 advance its best interests. 



Again offering you my respectful thanks, 



I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, 



Your obedient servant, 



("harles J. S. Bethunb. 

 Trinity College School, 



Port Hope, September, 1875. 



