LXXVIII ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
was thoroughly enjoyed by the few botanists and entomologists who 
attended. 
The branches of the Society at Montreal and Quebec, the former 
of which has flourished for twenty-eight years, report that they have 
had a very satisfactory season. Regular meetings have been held and 
many excellent and interesting papers were presented; a few field 
days have also been found very enjoyable and have helped much in 
stimulating the ardour of those who attended them. The Toronto 
branch, like that at Quebec, is now five years old, but it has not 
received nearly so much encouragement and support as its twin-sister 
in the lower province. Why the “Queen City of the West” should 
furnish so few entomologists is difficult to understand; it has the 
advantage of many distinguished seats of learning, several extensive 
libraries, a number of scientific professors, and a rich and easily acces- 
sible country for exploration. Notwithstanding their limited num- 
ber, the members of the branch have held frequent meetings, at 
which several excellent papers were read, and have made good progress 
in the formation of a collection of insects for the Ontario Department 
of Education. 
A noteworthy feature of the Society’s work is the delivery of 
popular lectures by competent members. Dr. James Fletcher has 
given a large number on insects, noxious weeds and nature study, in 
various places in Ontario, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and 
British Columbia; Dr. Bethune has lectured, chiefly to school children 
and horticultural societies, in London and a number.of towns not far 
distant, on noxious, interesting and beneficial insects; and Mr. W. H. 
Saunders has addressed teachers and other assemblies in Montreal, 
Ottawa and other places, as well as in London, on the Birds of Can- 
ada. These lectures have been well attended and listened to with 
great interest, and will evidently do much to awaken and stimulate 
a love for natural history and a desire to know more about the wonders 
in plant and animal life that everywhere surround us. 
The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Society was held in 
London in November last, and was attended by the Hon. J. Dryden, 
Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, and a number of members from 
different places. The proceedings opened with a discussion on the 
San José Scale, its ravages in Ontario and the best methods of keeping 
it under control; much useful information was given by Mr. G. E. 
Fisher, Provincial Inspector of Scale Insects; Dr. Fletcher, the 
Dominion Entomologist, and Professor Webster, State Entomologist 
of Ohio. An evening meeting, to which the public were invited, was 
held in the Normal School building; the Hon. J. Dryden took the 
