4 B.C. ENTOJIOl.OGICAL SOCIETY 



PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 



By G. O. Day. F.E.S., Duncan. B.C. 



The shadow of the dreadful war in which the Empire is engaged 

 is still over us. The past year has been filled with anxiety and gloom. 

 Almost all of us have friends or relations who have been or are taking 

 part in the terrible strife ; and I think I am expressing the general 

 feeling when I state there has been a sense of suspense and imrest and 

 of dread as to what each day might bring forth. Is it indeed to be 

 wondered at, therefore, if people have felt too uneasy over the stupend- 

 ous struggle in Europe to give full-hearted attention to the special 

 subject our Society is interested in? I rather think it is a matter for 

 congratulation that we have done so well, especially in the programme 

 provided for today, in the matter of papers. 



The awfulness of war has been brought very closely home to us by 

 the death of one of our members — Capt. R. V. Harvey. He was wounded 

 and taken prisoner at Festubert in April last, and subsequently died in 

 Germany from his wounds. Though of late years he had not done 

 much active work in Entomology, he it was who was mainly instru- 

 mental in starting the B.C. Entomological Society in 1902; and from the 

 quarterly bulletins issued during the years 1906-07-08 (copies of which 

 are preserved in our library), we have evidence of what an energetic 

 Secretary and enthusiastic entomologist he was at that time. 



I would like to express our appreciation of the sacrifice of his life 

 in the cause of the Empire and our sense of the loss the Society has 

 sustained by his death. 



It is with much regret that I have to refer to the losses tiy death of 

 two other members of the Society. These are Mr. T. Cunningham 

 (quite recently) and Mr. E. H. Robinson (last year). Mr. Robinson 

 was an authority on Honey Bees. He attended our Annual Meeting 

 two years ago and gave us a talk about those insects — with particular 

 reference to the new disease affecting them. 



Mr. Cunningham was a keen supporter of our Society, chiefly, of 

 course, on the economic side. Those who knew him personally must 

 admire his staunch character and appreciate the whole-hearted devotion 

 in \vhich he carried (jut his duties as Fruit Inspector for the P^rovince. 



In considering a general review of Entomology during the past year, 

 very few important events have come under my observation. 



The meeting of the International Congress of P'ntomology, which 

 was due to l)e held in 1915, did not — obviously could not — take place. 



Our parent Society, the Entomological Society of Ontario, published 

 during the year a most satisfactory report containing interesting papers 

 and addresses. In the Presidential address by Dr. Hewitt particular 



