13 



The Hon. Charles Drury next addressed the meeting. He said that he had not come 

 to deliver a speech, but he had travelled five hundred miles in order that, as the head of 

 the Agricultural Department of Ontario, he might show the importance which the Gov- 

 ernment he represented attached to the work of the Entomologists. He considered that 

 the small grant annually made to the funds of the Society was amply repaid by its 

 practical work, and mentioned as an instance the immense saving to the country effected 

 by the President's discovery of the remedy for the clover-seed midge. 



Sir James Grant spoke in graceful terms and delivered a very interesting address. 

 He described the importance of entomology in its various aspects and referred to the 

 work of some of its greatest masters, from Aristotle and Pliny, in ancient times, to 

 LeConte, who had described so enormous a number of species of beetles, and whose lamented 

 death was so great a loss to science. He described its relations to other departments, 

 especially to medicine, and mentioned as an instance the fact that bacteria had been intro- 

 duced into the blood by the bite of mosquitoes. He paid a high compliment to the 

 President for his practical and interesting address, and for his enthusiastic devotion to 

 the science, which had deservedly won for him the recognition of the Dominion 

 Government. 



Professor Saunders rose to move a vote of thanks to the President for his valuable 

 address. He gave a short account of the history of the Society and its work, and men- 

 tioned the fact that there were only two of the original members present besides himself, 

 viz., Dr. Bethune and Mr. E. Paynes Reed, who had been concerned in its organization 

 twenty-five years ago. Sir James Grant seconded the vote of thanks, which was put to 

 the meeting by Dr. Bethune and unanimously carried. 



Rev. Dr. Bethnne then proceeded to give a brief address, in which he strongly urged 

 the importance of encouraging young people in their instinctive fondness for collecting 

 insects. It was not only a most useful pursuit from an educational point of view, but 

 led to great results in developing a love for science and a steady increase in the number 

 of its votaries. As one of the pioneers of the society, he was delighted to see for the 

 first time at one of its meetings the Provincial Minister of Agriculture, and also the 

 Dominion Deputy Minister. He expressed his pleasure also at the presence of so many 

 ladies, and trusted that they would bring to the aid of entomology all those gifts of 

 deftness and neatness which they so eminently possessed. For their encouragement he 

 mentioned that the most distinguished entomologist in England at the present time is a 

 lady, Miss E. Ormerod, of St. Albans. 



In acknowledging the vote of thanks Mr. Fletcher took occasion to refer to one 

 point which he had overlooked, namely, the injuries inflicted by " that miscreant, the 

 English sparrow," whose exterminrtion he strongly advocated. The Hon. W. Drury 

 -stated that this destructive bird was no longer under the protection of the Act of Parlia- 

 ment respecting insectivorous birds, and that everyone was at liberty to aid in reducing 

 its numbers. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



At 10 o'clock a.m. on Saturday, a meeting of the Council was held for the transaction 

 •of business, and after its adjournment the Society continued its proceedings. 



The reports of the Secretary -Treasurer, the Librarian, the delegate to the Royal 

 Society of Canada, the Montreal Branch, and the delegates to the Entomological Club of 

 the American Association for the Advancement of Science, were presented and adopted. 



The following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year : 



President — James Fletcher, F.R.S.C, F.L.S., Ottawa. 

 Vice-President — E. Baynes Reed, London. 

 Secretary-Treasurer' — W. E. Saunders, London. 



