224 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



department under his charge. A couple of hours 

 conversation with Mr. Boyle gives an expansion 

 of ideas on that subject which the reading of 

 piles of literature on Indian archaeology could never 

 impart. There is also in the same building a 

 collection of Canadian birds and animals. The 

 handsome buildings of the Education Depart- 

 ment of the Province of Ontario contains a really 

 fine museum in connection with the Normal School. 

 The objects are well selected and arranged in view 

 of their educational value for the embryo school 

 teachers, who pass their examinations in another 

 part of the building. It is a general museum, 

 including pictures and other objects of art ; still 

 there is a very considerable natural science col- 

 lection. A city like Toronto, with over two hundred 

 thousand inhabitants, a thousand acres of public 

 parks, one hundred and fifty-eight churches and 

 splendid public buildings and university, must soon 

 erect a museum worthy of its surroundings. 



The Geological Survey Museum, at Ottawa, is 

 worth going all the way to see. It is small when 

 compared with some of the national museums of 

 other countries. It is, however, of a highly in- 

 structive character, beautifully kept, and the 

 objects exhibited are selected with much judgment. 

 Such a collection and such excellent management 

 deserves a better building, which it is to be hoped 

 will, in course of time, be provided by the 

 Dominion Government to whom it belongs. The 

 collection of minerals is of great interest as the 

 Colony is especially rich in them. The birds 

 are good, and well set up, as are also the native 

 animals. There is here also a nice ethnological 

 collection, but not so extensive as that in Toronto. 



Although not strictly museums nor botanical 

 gardens in the ordinary sense, the Government 

 Experimental Farms of Canada are closely allied to 



both, and are of the greatest interest. There are five 

 of these establishments under the direction of Prof. 

 Saunders, than whom it would be impossible to find 

 one more competent. I visited two of these farms, 

 one at Brandon, Manitoba, and the other at Ottawa. 

 Professor Saunders very kindly showed us over 

 and explained every detail, which occupied some 

 seven hours. On these farms experiments and 

 investigations are being carried out, of the highest 

 scientific value. The growth of farm crops, native 

 and other plants and trees — fruit, timbers and 

 ornamental ; studies in cross fertilization of cereals, 

 best races of cattle and poultry, dairy work, ' 

 chemical investigation, and many other depart- 

 ments, each with a separate management and staff, 

 are some of the cares of the genial director-in- 

 chief, who can still spare time for explanation to 

 wanderers interested in something else than piles 

 of dollars. 



Our stay in Montreal was not sufficiently long to 

 investigate the collections of that fine city, but 

 an evening spent with the Rev. T. W. Fyles, of 

 Point Levis, opposite Quebec, gave one an insight 

 into the lepidopterous fauna of the Province of 

 Quebec. Mr. Fyles is an English clergyman who 

 has been long in Quebec, during which period he has 

 devoted his spare time and attention exclusively to 

 the fauna of the Province. His collection of 

 insects is good, many having been reared from ova 

 or larvse. 



As a collecting ground, Canada, from its varied 

 climates and regions and its immense extent — we 

 must remember it is about as large as Europe, 

 including Russia — is one of the finest in the world. 

 So comparatively little has been done in investi- 

 gating the fauna and flora of the Dominion, on 

 account of its great extent, that rich prizes await 

 new workers. 



LEPIDOPTERA IN YORKSHIRE. 



By W. Hewett. 



THE past season has been a very bad one 



indeed for lepidoptera, and entomologists 



from all parts of the county, and indeed country 



might well be added, are agreed that the season of 



1894 k as been one of the worst known. 



I have collected lepidoptera in a great number of 

 Yorkshire localities very assiduously for the last 

 seventeen years, with more or less success, gener- 

 ally the former, but have never before experienced 

 such a uniform scarcity of lepidoptera in all stages. 

 Of course there have been a few species which 

 have occurred in one stage or another, as commonly 

 or perhaps more common than during other seasons, 

 but these exceptions have been exceptional. They 

 were in the larval stage, Smerinthus populi at Hull, 



5. ocellatus near York, Agrotis agathina at Scarbro', 

 Agriopis aprilina at Keighley, Abraxas grossalariata 

 at Keighley, Bombyx ' rubi at Strensall and Skipwith 

 Common. 



In the perfect state Lithosia mesomella near York, 

 Asthena luteata near York, Tephrosia biundidaria, and 

 its variety delamerensis near York, T. punctulata, 

 Abraxas ulmata in Drewton Dale and Eglington 

 Wood, Yorkshire ; this species was very scarce at 

 Sledmere, where it is usually common. Lobophora 

 lobulata at York, Cidaria testata, York, Agrotis ravida 

 near Hull, of which more than one hundred 

 specimens were taken ; the highest number on any 

 one night being ten. Luperina testacea at Hull and 

 York, Miselia oxycanihcs at Skipwith, Chcerocampa 



