Pro\-ancher and should remain so. Thanks to the precautions which I have men- 

 tioned, it is then ahvays possible to see at a glance about which species he wished 

 to speak on such and such a page of his works, and that in spite of the changes 

 which are being daily produced in entomological nomenclature. 



I wish to add that the College of Levis also possesses a collection of insects 

 acquired long ago from Abbe Provancher and which were the duplicates of his 

 collection at that period. 



Collection of Laval University. 



The entomological collection of Laval University, which contains fifteen 

 thousand named species, is one of the most important in Canada, and even of 

 America. It was commenced about three quarters of a century ago by the late 

 M<ir. T.-E. Hamel, one of the orisjinal members of the Roval Societv of Canada, 

 and who was for a long time rector of the University. Mgr. Hamel while one of 

 our most zealous scientists was never a specialist in entomology ; but that did not 

 prevent him from taking part in the hunts after insects. I have been the witness-. 

 of this in my younger days at the holiday residence of the Gentlemen of the Se- 

 minary of Quebec, at Saint- Joachim (Montmorency) ; it was even on these oc- 

 casions that for the first time the existence of a science called entomology was 

 revealed to me and it was there that the first germs of my vocation of entomolo- 

 gist were implanted in my mind. 



The collections increased greatly during the years in which the late F.-X, 

 Belanger, on the recommendation of Abbe Provancher, was appointed to act as 

 curator of the Museum. He published at one time, in the "Naturaliste Canadien", 

 some interesting articles on our native silk-worms. M. Belanger died in 1882; I 

 knew him well and used to see him walking about with his insect net in the neigh- 

 borhood of Quebec. He was also an expert taxidermist. 



The real curator of the University, who has filled this office for forty years 

 is Mr. C.-E. Dionne, the author of "The Birds of the Province of Quebec", and 

 who is not only a noted ornithologist, but also a learned entomologist. Under 

 his direction, the entomological collections of Laval have been remounted and 

 arranged according to modern methods. They have also, be it well understood, 

 received considerable development. Mr. Dionne. who has much taste and skill, is 

 also a taxidermist of wide reputation. 



At one time the Laval entomological collections were united as a world-wide 

 collection. In other words, the Canadian species were placed amongst those of 

 foreign countries thus forming only a unique collection. This is a system which 

 has its advantages from the view point of the general entomologist ; but it has 

 also many drawbacks, and it is far from being favourable to study. For the 

 number of species known to-day in entomology is enormous, so that there are no 

 longer "universal" entomologists. It is now necessary to specialize in the study of 

 species of the single country where they live, and the longest life barely suffices. 



