48 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



when it becomes warmer, but probably this would be the measure of their knowledge of 

 the winter life of our insects. The entomologist, (concise term for the student of insect 

 life,) however, who seeks to make himself acquainted with the complete life-history of 

 each species,has 8 s an essential part of his task to discover how the winter is passed. Natur- 

 ally he finds that there is much diversity of habit, and that it may be either as egg, 

 larva, pupa or imago, (adult or fully developed form) that the long cold months are safely^ 

 tided over and the unbroken succession of the species preserved. 



Many of our forms find security in the bottoms of the streams and pools, protected 

 by the shield of ice which has been formed above them. Others are safely buried in 

 the ground, beyond the reach of frost, or hidden in their burrows in our forest trees, but 

 a great proportion are incapable of attaining such a degree of protection, and have to be 

 content to hide in some crevice or similar shelter, or to depend upon such covering as 

 they may be able to construct. It might well be supposed that those non-aquatic insects 

 which hibernate in the perfect state would seek out some nice dry cranny in which, if 

 possible, to shelter themselves from both cold and wet. Surprise may therefore reason- 

 ably be excited when it is discovered that a considerable degree of moisture seems in no 

 degree harmful even to many species of a most delicate and fragile organization. The 

 saturated frozen mosses of the swamps might appear the very opposite of suitable winter- 

 quarters, and yet they very frequently contain an amazing number and variety of insects. 



Having at several times gathered quantities of such mosses in the early winter, and 

 obtained from them many interesting specimens, it has occurred to me that a brief sum- 

 mary of the result of my last foray of this sort might be of some interest to those who are 

 curious as to the winter existence of our insects. I hope, too, that the list which I shall 

 furnish may be of some little value to our many students in this branch of natural his- 

 tory, and may perhaps give some new light as to the habits of some of the species. For 

 in all of our investigations we must bear in mind that, without a complete knowledge of 

 the full yearly round of the existence of each species, we may perhaps lack just what it 

 is most essential to know. 



At the present time great attention is given to what is called economic entomology^ 

 which merely means the application to the benefit of the community at large of the know- 

 ledge which is slowly and laboriously gathered by many students, working generally 

 merely for their own love of investigation, and often at considerable expense and self- 

 sacrifice. At the Central Experimental Farm, at Ottawa, Canada has employed a very 

 capable and indefatigable entomologist whose investigations and reports cannot but 

 convey much needed information to the agricultural population. But the capacity of 

 any man to make investigations is limited by the time at his command, and he is there- 

 fore compelled to avail himself of the labours of others, and as there is no one, especially 

 if resident in the country and engaged in agricultural pursuits, who has not opportunity 

 for observing the habits of some of our insects, there should be many who could render 

 some aid to our excellent Government Entomologist, Mr. Fletcher, by communicating to 

 him the observations that have been made. In devising methods for the destroyal and 

 control of those insects which are classed as injurious (either to plant or animal life) it 

 may become important to ascertain how they survive the winter, so as to know at what 

 season they may be most easily and cheaply combatted. 



Before proceeding with my list of species I will summarize for my non-entomological 

 readers the method employed in collecting the specimens. The best localities for gather- 

 ing the moss are to be found in swamps, surrounded and interspersed with trees and 

 shrubs, and offering to the botanist in summer a considerable variety of plants. The 

 ordinary sphagnum moss which may be found in some places is too wet to contain many 

 insects, but the mosses which occur in abundance in somewhat drier localities will gener- 

 ally well repay investigation. It is profitable also to collect those which grow around 

 the roots of trees, upon fallen logs, and upon the little knolls and hummocks of the 

 swamps. The mosses, of course, will be mixed, more or less, with grasses, fallen twigs 

 and leaves and various foreign matters, but the presence of these is not a source of any 

 inconvenience in examining the material collected. A sackful gathered in the nearest 

 swamp will furnish interesting occupation for many subsequent hours, and its contents 



