HE PORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICA.L BRANCH FOR THE 



SEASON OF 1882. 



To the Council of the Ottavxi Field -N'aturalists' Club. 



As this Report is intended to be but a brief ontline of the work of 

 the Club during the year, it must necessarily deal with generalities 

 rather than with the details which might be looked for as desirable in 

 an ordinaiy entomological papei'. 



It is much regretted that the number of workers in this Branch 

 has been but slightly augmented since the or-ganization of the Club, and 

 that in consequence the collections in the different orders progress but 

 slowly, while some are almost totally neglected. 



The season opened much later than in 1881 and quantities of snow 

 and ice remained in the woods on 7th April, while even in May there 

 was a snow-fall on the 2nd and several frosty nights during the early 

 part of the month. Consequently there was no great abundance of 

 insect-life until toward the middle of May, but from that time the season 

 was a favourable one for collecting, and specimens were numerous to the 

 end of October. Collections were made at each of the three Club 

 Excursions, and sub-excursions also visited Thurso, the Mer Bleue, 

 Chelsea, McKay's Bush, Templeton, Billings' Bridge, etc. The most 

 important work, however, was done by individual members. 



lb is thought desirable to indicate the relative attention which the 

 several orders have hitherto received, and they ai*e therefore treated 

 separately. Unfortunately the extensive collections made in this vicinity 

 by the late Mr. Billings have been interspersed with numerous species 

 received from other localities, and. are therefore unavailable for the 

 compilation of our lists ; thus the whole ground has to be covered afresh. 



Hymenoptera. — This oi-der, containing our bees, w^asps, ants, etc., 

 offers perhaps more inducements to the student of insect life (not the 

 mere collector of insects) than any other, and it is much to be deplored 

 that so little is yet known of our species. We have no worker devoted 

 to this order, and although a considerable number of species have been 

 collected, and are available for study, but few have yet been named. 

 The only group to which particular attention has been devoted is the 

 Uroceridfe, or Horntails. Several species are found here destroying our 



