Proceedings, 1921. 141 



Branch to investigate and report on the biology and species of the mosqui- 

 toes present in the valley and to assist the municipalities by general advice 

 and suggestion. The A'ancouver Board of Trade undertook to draft a 

 " Mosquito-control Act " which could be submitted to the Provincial House 

 for discussion and endorsation. Unfortunately, the endeavours came to 

 naught owing, I believe, to lack of co-operation among the municipalities, 

 but Dr. Hewitt fulfilled his part of the bargain, and next spring we 

 welcomed Mr. Eric Hearle to Briti'^h Columbia with special instructions to 

 investigate the mosquito pi'oblcm. 



In 1917 Mr. R. N. Chrystal, of Dr. Swaine's Federal Division of Forest 

 Insects, left the Province this year to undertake certain work elsewhere in 

 the Dominion. Mr. Chrystal had been engaged in preliminary studies of 

 forest insects in British Columbia for two years and his major inquiries 

 centred in Stanley Park at ^"ancouver. A laboratory was established in 

 Stanley Park for the purposes of close investigation, but this was abandoned 

 when Mr. Chrystal left for the East. 



So far as the Provincial entomological service is concerned, in addition 

 to the services of Mr. M. H. Ruhmann at \^ernon, we have to record the 

 entrance of Air. E. R. Buckell to the field insect-work. Mr. Buckell was 

 attached during iqiS to the Horticultural Branch of the Province and was 

 engaged in codling-moth eradication at Walhachin. In 1919 he joined the 

 entomological service proper and was placed at Penticton to investigate 

 the peach-twig borer and the locust situation in the Lower Oka- 

 nagan Valley. Mr. Buckell found his special field of • investigation 

 in insects affecting the range and cereals, so that during 1920 

 lie made the Chilcotin District his headquarters. It is interesting to 

 note that, so far as I am aware, this was the first time the Chilcotins 

 have been visited to investigate any special insect problem. The sad 

 depletion of the range from overgrazing and from the influence of locusts 

 necessitated some action, and it is hoped that as a result of Mr. Buckell's 

 investigations some measures will be adopted, in co-operation with the 

 Provincial Range Commissioner, to better tiie conditions. Mr. Buckell 

 intends continuing his investigations in the same area next year, 1921. 



A matter of some iinportance which I have neglected to mention thus 

 far in this paper in reviewing entomological progress in British Columbia 

 is the school educational work under the auspices of the Provincial Depart- 

 ment of Education. ]\Ir. J. \\'. Gibson was appointed as Provincial 

 Director of Agricultural Education during the winter of 1914-75 under 

 the Federal grant used for that purpose. In 1915 he held his first short 

 course for teachers at Victoria, and the writer had the honour of presenting 

 the course in entomology. It is felt that this wurk may have a very direct 

 bearing on the future of entomology, as the teachers who were thus 

 instructed undoubtedly obtained a wider knowledge on insect-life which they 

 could impart to their students in all parts of the Province. A similar course 

 has been held in Victoria during July of 1916, 1917, 1919, and 1920. The 

 writer has conducted this course each vear under Mr. (Hb.son's direction, 



