Enfomolofjic(d Sociefij of British Coh(mbia 7 



able to devote that close attention to mattiM-s of detail in connection with 

 the Society's business which I could have wished, and which they prop- 

 erly demand, and I think it would be preferable to have someone in the 

 position of president who is not hampered with other cares, if that is 

 possible. 



Now, as to membership, I am afraid we are not getting as many 

 recruits as we should do, and older members have dropped out from time 

 to time due to removal or other causes. The thoughts of the younger 

 generation unfortunately in these times seem to tend to more frivolous 

 enjoyments and unless we can find some means to create more interest 

 in young minds in fiie study of the thousand and one beauties of 

 nature all around them, there is grave danger of our Society dwindling 

 in membership. True, there is what is called nature study in the schools, 

 but as far as my experience goes it is more or less of a perfunctory 

 nature, and falls very far short of accomplishing anything worth while. 

 At some period in every young person 's life some sort of collecting hobby 

 takes hold of them and if it fortunately takes the form of collecting 

 insects, the next desire is to know their names, habits and all about them, 

 then follows a desire to have them classified properly and in due time we 

 have an entomologist. So that the amateur collector is the first stage 

 in the foundation of such a society as oui"s. 



Economic entomology is and must continue to be of the first im- 

 portance as regards the commercial side, if I may so express it. There is 

 scarcely a line of business in any way connected with producing the 

 means of existence for the human race with which it is not intimately 

 connected, aiul this fact is more and more recognized by the various 

 governments which have their staffs of entomologists officered by 

 splendid men, but let us not forget the systematic man, nay, let us en- 

 courage even the mere amateur collector, for it is for those who follow 

 our favorite study for the love of it that associations such as ours were 

 primarily formed. There should, in fact, be close co-operation between 

 the economic and systematic members of our Society; one should fit in 

 with the other. It is sometimes the collector who first discovers the 

 existence of a harmful species in a locality which might otherwise have 

 escaped notice. 



There is a vast field for study for those who have the time and op- 

 portunity to devote to it in working out the life histories as far as possible 

 of the great majority of our species in the various orders. Probably most 

 of us have noticed how few of the butterflies in Holland's book have any- 

 thing known of their earlier stages ; it gets almost monotonous to read 

 "Earlier Stages Unknown," varied with "At Present Unknown" or 

 "These Await Description." Even many of our prevalent species are 



