ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 21 



The Raccoon (Procyon lotor.) 



While the Raccoon is perhaps the most omnivorous of all our mammals, eating with 

 avidity birds and their eggs, frogs, fish, cray-fish, nuts, fruits, corn and sometimes poultry, 

 yet b» fore framing an indictment against him we should give him fair credit for large 

 numbers of insects and mice destroyed in the course of a season. 



I have examined the stomachs of many 'coons killed during the time the corn was 

 in the milky stage, and have nearly always found more insects than anything else, 

 notably the red-legged locust, in seasons when that pest was most destructive. 



The Skunk (Mephitis mephitica). 



In the face of the unsavoury reputation with which common report invests the 

 SkunV — a reputation partly acquired from an occasional raid on the poultry yard to kill 

 chickens or to suck eggs, and partly by reason of his defensive and offensive odour, it is 

 pleas int to quote from Dr. Merriam, the highest authority on North American mammals, 

 the following testimonial as to nis sterling qualities : " Of all our native mammals perhaps 

 no one is so universally abused, and has so many unpleasant things said about it, as the 

 innocent subject of the present biography, and yet no other species is half so valuable to 

 the farmer. Pre-eminently an insect-eater, he destroys more beetles, grass-hoppers and 

 the like than all our other mammals put together, and in addition to these devours vast 

 numbers of mice." 



In discussing this interesting paper, Mr. Fyles asked whether it were correct that a 

 .noticeable difference between a mouse and a shrew was that a cat would not eat a shrew, 

 because it was carnivorous and therefore not suitable for food. 



Mr. Saunders said that this was probably not because the shrew is carnivorous, but 

 because it had a peculiar and unpleasant odour, derived from a sack or gland, and that 

 this caused cats, hawks and owls to prefer other mammals. lie then exhibited a series 

 -of skins of bats, and gave a brief account of each species. 



Dr. Bethune, in commenting on the usefulness of skunks, mentioned the benefit they 

 confer upon hop-growers by destroying the larva of a moth, Gortyna immanis, which is 

 ofcen very injurious to the plants. This caterpillar eats into the crown of the root and 

 if unmolested gradually burrows through and causes the death of the whole plant. In 

 the hop-yards in the northern part of the State of New York it is related that the owners 

 encourage the presence of skunks and do not allow them to be molested. These animals 

 prowl about the yard and by listening at the foot of a hop-plant discover whether there 

 is a worm gnawing at the root ; if so they speedily dig away the earth and extract and 

 devour the worm. It only remains then for the grower to replace the earth and thank 

 his unsavoury friend for the benefit that he has conferred in saving the life of the plant. 

 This injurious insect the speaker had found very abundant some years ago in a large hop- 

 yard at Erindale, near Springfield-on-the-Oredit. 



Mr. Fyles then exhibited a fine collection of insects recently taken in Barbados, 

 West India Islands, by his son. After the inspection of these and other specimens that 

 were brought by the members present, the meeting adjourned. 



EVENING SESSION. 



In the evening the Society held a public meeting in its rooms in Victoria Hall, at 

 which there was a largely increased attendance of members, between thirty and forty 

 being present. The chair was taken by the President, Mr. Dearness, at 8 o'clock. After 

 explaining the much regretted absence of Dr. Fletcher, who was unavoidably prevented 

 from attending, he proceeded to deliver the annual address, which he illustrated with 

 specimens and drawings on the blackboard, and also with photographs, and which was 

 listened to with great interest and attention. 



