February, '22J comstock: reminiscences 31 



ment entomologist in the years of 1879 and 1880, returning to Cornell 

 the following year. He has also published a number of books on 

 butterflies and spiders and various other things. 



Now, before we call on Professor Comstock I wish to say that he has 

 trained a large number of men who have gone out to other places, and 

 many of the men here tonight had their training under Professor Com- 

 stock. He has been very kind to come here tonight so that we can all 

 see him, and I will ask you to stand and drink to the health of Professor 

 Comstock. 



The members arose and drank to the health of Professor Comstock. 

 (Applause) 



Professor J. H. Comstock: Mr. Toastmaster, and Fellow Workers 

 in Entomology: I feel that I have only a slight claim to this mark of 

 appreciation from this society. A generation has come onto the stage 

 since I stopped working especially on economic entomology and drifted 

 off into another division of entomology, a generation that has put 

 economic entomology into the proud place which it now holds. My 

 withdrawal from this division of our work was not due to any loss of 

 interest in it, nor to any lack of appreciation of its importance. It 

 resulted merely from the fact that in the growth of our department at 

 Ithaca it seemed advisable to have a division of labor, and I was very 

 fortunate to be able to put the economic phase of the subject into the 

 hands of Professor Slingerland. You will all agree with me that that 

 was a fortunate appointment. You know the work of that brilliant 

 worker. One of the things I cherish most is that I had a part to play 

 in the development of that remarkable career, unfortunately so short. 



Your President, when he wrote asking me to come, said that he 

 wished me to make a short speech of a reminiscsnt nature. So if I 

 reminisce you mustn't blame it entirely on the peculiarities of old people 

 who are apt to reminisce tiresomely, but rather on your President. 



I want to tell you a word about Slingerland. Slingerland was a 

 country boy. He came from the home town of Mrs. Comstock and she 

 was interested in him. When he came to Cornell as a freshman the 

 insectary had just been built, and I gave him a position as janitor in it 

 because it was necessary for him to earn his way through college. During 

 his freshman year he attended a course of lectures on general zoology, 

 and at the end of the course I gave a lecture on the habits of insects, 

 a single lecture, because the following term there was to be an extended 

 course in entomology. Slingerland told Mrs. Comstock afterwards 

 that that night he was unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the 

 wonders of the insect world. He decided then that he would devote 

 himself to the study of entomology. He also told her that when he 

 came to Cornell he did not know that a butterfly came from a cater- 



