36 THE REPORT OF THE No. 36 



find them out, for there are many silent workers in all parts of Quebec who are 

 adding to the store of knowledge, working among plants and insects. Some of 

 these workers have come from France; they have introduced this science into 

 Quebec in the schools, and the work of Mr. Maheux at the present time is not, 

 therefore, what we may call a new work. Probably Ontario got a little ahead 

 in having a Provincial Entomologist, and in some other enterprises, but we must 

 not conclude that because Ontario is ahead along certain lines it is ahead in 

 every line. We have only to go through some of the museums in Montreal — Laval, 

 McGill and some of the other colleges — to see what has been done. As an Ontario- 

 born man I wish to acknowledge the great work Quebec has done in entomology. 

 Prof. Caesar: I should like to congratulate Mr. Maheux on the programme 

 of work that he has made out for himself. I, consider it a very adequate one, 

 and it contains a number of suggestions that I think other provinces would do 

 well to adopt. I was much interested in what he said about the work in the 

 public schools ; I have seen the charts he refers to, and I think they are particularly 

 good, and the coloring is true to nature. They should be a very great source 

 of value, and the children should learn more easily by this method, thus making 

 it easier for the teacher. Some of his remarks, too, I think might be of use 

 in connection with the subject of how entomologists can help in the production 

 and protection of food supplies. I welcome Mr. Maheux as a brother provincial 

 entomologist; I shall be very glad to co-operate with him and expect to receive 

 from him help that will be of much value. I am sure we are all pleased to 

 welcome Mr. Maheux among us as one of our members. 



SOME IMPORTANT INSECTS OF THE SEASON. 



L. Caesar, 0. A. College, Guelph. 



The Blackberry Leaf-miner {Metallushetliunei, MacGillivray). 



From time to time the last ten years there have been outbreaks in Southern 

 Ontario of a Blackberry Leaf-miner, which Dr. A. D. MacGillivray says is a new 

 8peQJ§s, Metallus hethunei — very closely allied to Metallus rubi. So abundant 

 are the insects in these outbreaks and so many mines are made in the leaves that 

 wholg fields of blackberries look as if blighted. One of these outbreaks occurred 

 thisi,year at Burlington on .Snyder blackberries. When last visited, October 20th, 

 fully 60 per cent, of the total leaf surface was mined and numerous larv^ were 

 still feeding. 



Life History. No special attempt has been made to make a close consecutive 

 study of the life-history, but from notes made since 1910 the following facts 

 are gleaned : There are two broods in a year ; the adults of the first brood in 

 warm seasons begin to appear about July 1st, but in cooler seasons are evidently 

 considerably later. Eggs are laid in the tissues of the leaf, chiefly beside the 

 main ribs. The female inserts her ovipositor through the upper surface and 

 forces it down to, but not through, the lower epidermis and the egg is placed 

 close to this. Eggs are very pale white or almost colorless, oblong and slightly 

 curved. They swell before hatching and the lower epidermis, thus raised, show? 

 clearly even to the naked eye where they are placed. I counted 61 eggs on 

 one leaf. Mr. Aiton, my assistant, counted 150. The larvje soon after hatching 

 begin to make irregular shaped mines, and by the time the fruit is ripe (as 



