29 



Rev. 0. J. S. Bethune submitted a circular letter from Prof. Alfred Wailly, of 

 England, asking for specimens of any silk moths or their cocoons. 



Mr. Fletcher drew attention to an article which bad appeared in the August number 

 of the Canadian Horticulturist, condemning the use of Paris green as an insecticide. He 

 considered that article inaccurate and very injurious, as it might prevent the farmers from 

 making use of this most valuable remedy, and in confirmation of his opinion read a letter 

 from Prof. A. J. Cook describing experiments with Paris green, and proving that no ill 

 effects could result from eating potatoes or fruit upon which it was used in the ordinary 

 manner for the prevention of insect attacks. 



Mr. Harrington submitted a note on " Further Observations on Oryssus Sayi," in 

 which attention was also drawn to a clerical error in the paper on that insect in the May 

 number of the Entomologist. 



A vote of thanks was unanimously ordered to be conveyed to the Mayor and City 

 Council for the use of the council chamber and committee room in the City Hall for the 

 meetings of the Society. 



The meeting adjourned at 6 p.m,, sine die. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



The Club met at New York on Tuesday, August 9th, 1887, at 2.30 p.m. The 

 President, Professor Comstock, of Cornell University, Ithaca, took the chair, and Mr. J. 

 B. Smith, of Washington, D.C., acted as Secretary, in the absence of Mr. E. Baynes Reed, 

 of London, Ont. 



Meetings were held from time to time during the session of the A. A. A. S. The 

 following persons were present at some or all of the meetings of the Club : — Prof. J. H. 

 Comstock, Ithaca, N.Y. ; J. A. Lintner, Albany, N.Y. ; Prof. C. V. Riley, J. B. Smith, 

 Washington, B.C. ; E. L. Graef, Rev. G. D. Hulst, Brooklyn, N.Y. ; W. Beutenmuller, 

 G. W. J. Angell, New York ; Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Claypole, Akron, 0. ; Mr. and Mrs. 

 H. F. Bassett, Waterbury, Conn. • Prof. A. J. Cook, Agric. College, Mich. • G. Dimmock, 

 Cambridge, Mass. ; Dr. P. A. Hoy, Racine, Wis. ; J. H. Emerton, Boston, Mass. ; Rev. 

 J. G. Morris, Baltimore, Ind. ; A. S. Fuller, Ridgewood, N.J. ; Mr. and Mrs. E. D. 

 Southwick, F. B. Chittenden, E. C. M. Rand, Dr. Maury and others. 



The Entomological Society of Ontario was represented by Prof. W. Saunders, of 

 Ottawa. 



The President read his annual address, giving a history of the various systems of 

 elassification of insects since the time of Linnaeus, and especially dwelling upon the more 

 recent subdivisions of some orders by Brauer and Packard. The address is to be printed 

 in a new introductory work on Entomology. Prof. Riley, commenting upon the address, 

 said that the paper was an important one, and he fully realized the difficulties in coming 

 to a final and satisfactory conclusion. For his part he liked the old classifications, based 

 on the trophi and pterostic characters ; they had the merit of being well defined and 

 easily limited. He did not believe in the creation of numerous orders, but would rather 

 consider them aberrant groups or sub-orders, if necessary. Classification, however, for 

 some time to come must be a matter of opinion. Many classifications have been proposed 

 since that of Linnaeus, have had their day, and have been forgotten. He had the highest 

 respect for Dr. Brauer, but he did not entirely agree with him. He did not think too 

 much stress should be given to the adolescent states, which more than anything were 

 subject to independent changes by their environment. 



Mr. J. B. Smith said he was glad Prof. Comstock had chosen the subject he did, for 

 he had long wished that the gist of Brauer's classification could be presented in an acces- 

 sible form to American students, and Prof. Comstock's paper did that to some extent. He 

 agreed thoroughly with Prof. Riley in his estimate of the value of the adolescent stages. 



