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delphia, in 1876, attracted much attention ; and was admitted by all to be the most com 

 plete exhibit of North American insects ever brought together ; the Society was awarded 

 a gold medal on that occasion. Last year a request was made by the Minister of Fish- 

 eries for the Dominion of Canada that our Society would prepare and exhibit a collection 

 of such insects as were injurious to fishes as well as those which served as food for fishes, 

 to be sent with the Canadian exhibit to the great International Fisheries Exhibition 

 now being held in London, England. The arrangement of this collection was undertaken 

 by our worthy Secretary, Mr. E. Baynes Reed, who completed the work and sent for- 

 ward in due season forty cases of Canadian insects. 



The large collection of carefully determined specimens in the cabinets in the Society's 

 rooms in London, has also served a valuable purpose, as a collection of reference where 

 collectors from all parts of the Province can name their insects, and where all the books 

 and appliances which can aid this work are ready at hand. As our knowledge of the 

 insect forms found in our country increases, classified lists of their names are published 

 by the Society, for the purpose of aiding students in arranging their collections, and also 

 indicating the work which has been accomplished. 



During the past year a most complete and systematic index has been prepared by our 

 Secretary, Mr. E. Baynes Reed, to the full series of our thirteen annual reports, by 

 means of which the information they contain in reference to any insect or subject may 

 be referred to with little trouble or delay. This has greatly enhanced the value of these 

 reports, and opened the eyes of all to the vast fund of information they contain ; the 

 results amply repay the attendant labour and outlay of this compilation, and nothing 

 would do more to add to the value of the Canadian Entomologist than the publication of 

 a similar general index to the fifteen volumes of our monthly now completed. I trust 

 our esteemed Secretary may be induced to continue the good work in this direction. 



We have not been afflicted with any very formidable invasion of insect enemies 

 during the past year. At the opening of the season the apple-tree aphis which is gener- 

 ally common, was in some districts unusually abundant, and attracted some attention. 

 The injury inflicted by them on the apple-buds was not serious, and in a few days the 

 buds expanded, when the lice became scattered over the opening foliage and caused no 

 further apprehension. 



Later on the tufted caterpillar of the white-marked tussock moth Orgyia leucostigma 

 appeared in force, having hatched in multitudes from the numerous masses of eggs 

 attached to the twigs and limbs of various trees. These eggs are usually partly sheltered 

 by a dead leaf or leaves firmly adherent. The mass contains from 300 to 500 white eggs 

 imbedded in a frothy gelatinous substance, is of a grayish white colour, with a nearly 

 smooth convex surface, while there is usually attached to the mass the empty grey cocoon 

 from which the parent moth escaped. The eggs hatch about the middle of May, when 

 the young larvae at once begin to devour the leaves of the tree on which they are placed, 

 rapidly increase in size, and when full grown present a handsome appearance. Their 

 bodies are more than an inch long, of a bright yellow colour, with a red head, three or 

 four cream-coloured tufts set in a black stripe along the back, two long black spreading 

 plumes extending forward on the anterior part of the body, and one at the opposite extrem- 

 ity. By gathering the clusters of eggs during the winter when they are easily seen, the 

 depredations of this insect may be prevented ; but should this simple measure from 

 any cause be omitted, the larvae may be destroyed on the trees by syringing the foliage on 

 which they are feeding with Paris green and water in the proportion of a teaspoonful of 

 the poison to a pailful of water. This caterpillar is a very general feeder, and occurred 

 this year on almost every species of deciduous tree, especially on street trees, and in 

 lawns and parks, as well as in orchards. 



The clover seed midge to which the attention of farmers of this Province was first called 

 in the Annual Report of our Society for 1881, continues to extend its sphere of operations, 

 and many complaints are being made of the failure of the crop of clover seed from this cause. 

 The perfect insect is a two- winged fly, about the size and having much of the general 

 appearance of the wheat midge. By the aid of a long ovipositor the insect pushes her 

 minute eggs down the flower tubes in the young clover heads, and when hatched the tiny 

 red larvae devour the seed. In districts where this insect has fairly established itself 



