would be, I believe, an inestimable boon to all of us. And from 

 the favor with which this suggestion has been received by many of 

 the fathers of Economic Entomology, I believe that even they would 

 reap sufficient benefit from the experience of others to well repay 

 them for any time they might devote these meetings for the encour- 

 agement of others and for the good of the cause. Without going 

 into too great detail I will mention one or two of the advantages 

 which have occurred to me in connection with such an organization. 

 First of all it will give opportunities for a large body of earnest 

 workers in the same field and with the same interests, to become ac- 

 quainted with each other, and this I consider a point of great im- 

 portance. I regret to say that it cannot be denied that there is some- 

 times evidence of unkindly feeling towards fellow students in scientific 

 writing. The social intercourse which would be engendered by the 

 union would do much to put an end to this. Many small matters 

 which might offend or hurt, can be overlooked, or as we say, " un- 

 derstood' ' when w'e know the man from whom they emanate, and I 

 presume my experience of life cannot have been very widely different' 

 from that of other people when I have found far more to like than to 

 dislike in everyone w^hen you come to know them. Well, this union 

 will allow us to know each other. It will give us an opportunity for 

 systematic work. Problems frequently arise of paramount impor- 

 tance. By this means it will be possible to delegate certain parts of 

 any special investigation to such students as may have special oppor- 

 tunities therefor. 



Above all, the union will be an advisory board either for dis- 

 cussing matters of great interest to ourselves or for the advice of the 

 legislature upon occasion of any serious invasion or threatened visi- 

 tation by insect enemies ; thus while we are united we shall do far 

 better scientific work ; we shall uphold better the dignity of our 

 offices ; we shall gain the confidence of the public, and of the gov- 

 ernment, and we shall be bound together in a solid union for our own 

 good and that of the country at large. 



Although I have taken the liberty of bringing this matter before 

 you now, and ask you to express an opinion upon it at once, as you 

 are all aware- it is no new idea sprung upon the meeting unawares. 

 As I have mentioned, notices have appeared in " Insect Life" sug- 

 gesting the matter, and I have myself distributed, to every one who 

 I thought would be interested, a circular notifying them that I pro- 

 posed bringing the matter up for discussion. 



The mo\'ement seems to have originated with the very eminent 

 United States Entomologist, Prof C. V. Riley, who has done so 



