1899] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



121 



large mouse ; is thick set, with a short tail, almost devoid of hair. Its claws are long for 

 digging, but are not shaped like the mole's ; also, its teeth are quite different, showing 

 that they live on different diets. The pocket gopher is essentially a rodent, i.e., one of 

 the gnawing animals, having the four inscisor teeth long and like chisels, whereas the 

 mole has regular flesh- eating teeth, and is insectivorous chiefly in its diet. The reason 

 this is called " pocket " gopher is because it has on each side of the mouth two pouches 

 which are j ast like the fingers of a glove when turned inside out. They are outside the 

 mouth, so that when filled have to be emptied by the forepaws which press out the con- 

 tents. These animals are more destructive than useful, and though I have no doubt tnat 

 they kill many insects yet they chiefly live on roots of grass, grain, &c, also are fond of 

 potatoes, carrots, and most of the farmer's root crops, They chiefly come up from the 

 ground in the twilight and form one of the chief foods of the long-eared and short-eared 

 owls. I have seen them in the day-time bat rarely. I understand that one of the best 

 ways of catching them is by putting a trap in the " run " between two heaps of earth. 

 This is one of the farmer's foes and wants destroying. It's heaps of earth are unsightly, 

 and do harm in covering up grain and seeds too deep ; their "runs" take away earth 

 from the roots of grass, grain and shrubs, and lastly they eat and destroy root crops. 



With many thanks for listening to these few words, I must conclude ; but I hope to 

 see this Society progress and take its place as one of the first scientific societies in the 

 great North-west of Canada. 



Fig. 65. 



-Head of Pocket Gopher. 

 Life size. 



Fig. 66. — Underside of Gopher's head, 

 showing the " pockets." 



ADDRESS BY MR. HENRY H. LYMAN, MONTREAL. 



Gentlemen. — Your President, or should I not rather say our President as I also 

 am enrolled as a member of the North West (Canada) Entomological Society, has asked 

 me to contribute a paper on the best means of furthering the aims of the Society, for the 

 annual meeting. 



Living so far east from the headquarters of the Society it is not easy to be fully 

 aware of the conditions under which the work is carried on. 



In our Montreal Branch of the Entomological Society of Ontario we have only about 

 20 members, but as all but one or two live in Montreal or the surrounding municipalities 

 it is easy for us to get together, and we usually L old eight or nine monthly meetings dur- 

 ing the winter season. 



These meetings are generally held at the house of the President, but sometimes at 

 the houses of other members or in the Natural History Museum. When held in private 

 houses we generally have some refreshments, such as coffee and cake, or lemonade, etc., 

 and social conversation after the adjournment of the meeting. 



Probably the holding of such meetings would not be practicable in the case of the 

 North West Society, on account of the members being too much scattered. 



