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in 1863, under the name of the Entomological Society of Canada, by a few naturalists 

 living in different parts of the Provinces, who met together at Toronto for this special 

 purpose. Its membership at first was only sixteen, and this number included all those then 

 known to be interested in the study of insect life in Canada. From this small beginning 

 the Society has steadily increased, until its membership now reaches upwards of five 

 hundred. 



The benefits of organization and united effort were soon manifested by the rapid ac- 

 cumulation of valuable facts relating to scientific and economic entomology. Formerly this 

 material was, from time to time, published in the pages of the Canadian Journal ; but 

 the increased interest in the work of the Society, and its larger membership, rendered it 

 necessary in a few years to establish a periodical of its own, entirely in the interests of 

 Entomology. On August 1st, 1868, appeared the first number of The Canadian Ento- 

 mologist, a monthly periodical which has, from that time forward, been regularly issued, 

 and which was for some years the only publication on the continent of America, devoted 

 solely to this important branch of natural science. It has now reached its fifteenth 

 volume. From the outset its pages have been almost entirely filled with the records of 

 original work ; and during its existence it has been the means of disseminating a vast 

 amount of scientific knowledge which has been of benefit, not only to Canada but to the 

 world at large. In this connection it may not be out of place to quote the opinion of one 

 of the leading American entomologists. Prof. Grote, of New York, in his late work on the 

 Noctuidse, when enumerating the sources of information of value to entomological 

 students, speaks of the organ of our Society in the following complimentary terms : — 



" The treatise of Dr. Harris, which has become classical on its subject, did much 

 towards creating a general interest in Entomology. But the publication of the Canadian 

 Entomologist, a journal aided pecuniarily by the Ontario Government, and owing its suc- 

 cess chiefly to the unselfish labours of Mr. William Saunders, has assisted the progress of 

 Entomology in America probably more than any one other similar undertaking." 



The work of our Society has also been favourably commented upon abroad, and a 

 regular system of exchange of publications has been established with many of the impor- 

 tant learned societies of Europe. In addition to the good work done by the issue of the 

 Canadian Entomologist, collectors have been materially aided in their studies by the 

 classified lists of the different orders of Canadian insects, which have been published as the 

 material for the purpose was gathered together. 



The extensive collection exhibited by the Society at the Centennial Exhibition at 

 Philadelphia attracted much notice, and was admitted by all who saw it, to be most 

 creditable to Canada. At the request of the Dominion Government a similar collection 

 has been sent to England as part of Canada's contribution to the International Fisheries 

 Exhibition. 



Beyond this purely scientific work, the Society has, in a series of thirteen annual 

 reports on insects injurious and beneficial to agriculture, given to the farming community 

 a large amount of useful information. 



The Government of Ontario, recognizing the good work thus accomplished, incorpo- 

 rated the Society as the Entomological Society of Ontario, under the " Agriculture and 

 Arts Act," in 1870 ; and at the same time gave material aid by allowing a liberal annual 

 grant from the public funds. 



In view of the necessity for the constant interchange of specimens between students 

 in every department of Natural History, in order that, by comparison of other forms, 

 their studies may be thorough ; the Entomological Society of Ontario respectfully suggest 

 that the P^oyal Society of Canada should use its influence to secure a more liberal inter- 

 pretation of the postal regulations, with reference to the exchange of specimens between 

 students in Canada and those in the United States and Europe, particularly in the closely 

 allied sciences of entomology and botany. 



And it would also further suggest that a representation be made to the Government 

 to the end that arrangements be made whereby scientific bodies may be permitted to im- 

 port, free of duty, any engravings, woodcuts, lithographs, electrotypes, or other illustra- 

 tions which they may require for their publications. 



The members of the Entomological Society of Ontario have learned with much 



