30 



TIIK REPORT <)F THE 



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to the other officers of the Society for their unfailing courtesy and their readiness to afford 

 me every asBistance in their power, and to you, ladies and gentlemen, who are not entomo- 

 logists, I would say that if you have been dreadfully bored by my address you must pour 

 out the vials of your wrath upon the heads of the Council who arranged that it should 

 be delivered at this meeting instead of being read in the sanctity of the Society's own rooni^ 



The Rev. Dr. Fyles expressed the thanks of the meeting to the Pieaident for his 

 interesting and valuable address. In the course of a humorous speech, which was much 

 enjoyed by the audience, he stated that when it is borne in mind that at least one-tenth 

 of the vegetable products of the country are annually destroyed by insects, the study of 

 their habits and of the best means of dealing with them is of manifest importance. 



Dr. Fletcher gave an address illustrated with lantern pictures, on " Some Interesting 

 InEects." He prefaced his remarks by referring to the statement of the previous speaker 

 regarding the loss caused by insects and said that if there was even a chance of saving 

 some of this ten per cent, loss the study of entomology must be of great economic 

 importance. He considered that a great deal of the destruction of food products by 

 insects is preventable and that entomologists were doing a most valuable work in in- 

 structing the community as to what measures w^re the best to be taken for the purpose. 

 He spoke also of the many points in the life-histories of common insects that still require 

 to be investigated, and of our want of knowledge of the manner in which they lived 

 through the winter. Here was a field that would afford ample employment to every 

 entomologist. Beautiful illustrations of the following and several other insects were 

 thrown upon the screen and their peculiarities or points of interest described by the 

 speaker : The Gipsy Moth (Ocneria dispar) which derives its specific name " Dispar " 

 from the great disparity in the sizes of the male and female moth, the latter being nearly 

 double the size of her mate. The state of Massachusetts has been engaged for tbe last 

 nine years in trying to exterminate this insect and has spent close upon a million dolltrs 

 in the effort. While the object in view has not been completely accomplifched, the insect 

 has been prevented from spreading over the surrounding country and is confined to an 

 area that is gradually becoming more restricted. 



The Brown-tail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhea, Linn.) is another importation from 

 Europe in the state of Massachusetts which is proving very destructive. Active measures 

 however are being employed for its extermination in a similar manner to the preceding 

 species. 



The Mediterranean Flour- Moth (Ephestia Kuhniella Zell) Fig. 1., which has also come 

 to us from Europe, has been found in several mills in Ontario and various parts of the 



Fig. 1. 



The Mediterranean Flour-Moth ; a Caterpillar ; b Chrysalis ; c Motb, slightly enlarged; 

 d and e enlarged details of Caterpillar ; / side view of Moth ; g markings 

 on forewing ; h and i venation of wings. 



United States. It is a serious pes' - , as the larva clogs up the bolting cloths with its 

 webs and prevents the flour from sifting through. The moth itself does no damage. 



