9 



A society was duly organized under the name of the Entomological Society of Can- 

 ada, with Professor Croft, of Toronto, as its first President. Two scientific papers on in- 

 sects were presented and read, and a number of interesting insects exhibited. Application 

 was made to the Council of the Canadian Institute for the use of a room in their building, 

 which was kindly granted free of expense, and it was resolved to hold monthly meetings 

 for the discussion of entomological subjects. 



In December of the same year a committee was appointed to prepare and publish 

 catalogues of the names of insects in the orders of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, and in 

 May the following year the committee reported that the list of Lepidoptera had been com- 

 pleted and published, and that considerable progress had been made in determining the 

 species of Coleoptera, but not sufficient to warrant the publication of the catalogue. This 

 catalogue was completed and published shortly after. Before the close of this meeting 

 committees were appointed charged with the special duty of paying particular attention to 

 the study of insects injurious to vegetation. 



Previous to this nothing had been done in Canada in the important department of 

 Economic Entomology, no information was available to the farmer or fruit grower in 

 reference to most of the insect pests which destroyed his field crops or fruit unless he 

 happened to be the fortunate possessor of a volume published in New England by Dr. 

 Harris under the title of Insects Injurious to Vegetation in Massachusetts, and this, 

 although a very useful work, only partially mot the wants of the practical farmer. Dr. 

 Fitch, State Entomologist for New York, had* published his first nine reports and was 

 almost the only active labourer in this important department of insects injurious to agri- 

 culture, but his works were not accessible to many in this country. 



In scientific entomology but little had been done in Canada up to this period. 

 Several catalogues of the names of insects captured in this country had appeared in the 

 Canadian Naturalist the organ of the Natural History Society of Montreal, and the 

 occurrence of several rare species of butterflies had been noted. Messrs. Wm. Couper 

 and B. Billings, of Montreal, had also communicated some papers to the same journal, 

 urging the importance of the study of entomology, and referring to the habits of some 

 of the pine borers and other prominent insects, but the circulation of the Naturalist was 

 so limited that the information given reached but few in the community. 



The Entomological Society of Canada at first had no funds to enable them to pub- 

 lish reports of their proceedings beyond the small sum derived from the annual fees of 

 the members ; but among these were a number of active workers, who, by careful and sys- 

 tematic observation and study, were rapidly accumulating stores of knowledge which were 

 destined to be of much value in the future to the great community of farmers and horti- 

 culturists. At first the proceedings of the infant society were published in the Can- 

 adian Journal, but soon it was felt to be most desirable, in order to give them the prom- 

 inence they deserved, that the records of facts observed by the members should be pub- 

 lished in a separate form, and early in 1867 an effort was made to obtain some assistance 

 from the Canadian Government to aid the Society in carrying out this object ; but at a 

 meeting held the 1st of June, 1867, a communication was presented from the Finance 

 Minister of the united Provinces to the effect that he could not recommend any fresh 

 grants for scientific objects, as the country was on the eve of confederation. The annual 

 report of the secretary presented at this meeting showed that the membership had been 

 increased to forty-eight. The meeting was to have been followed by a field day, but the 

 Fenian raid, which just then occurred, called some of the members away to their duty as 

 volunteers, and others to the defence of their homes. 



In August, 1868, the first number of the Canadian Entomologist appeared under 

 the editorship of our esteemed coadjutor. Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, of Port Hope. It was 

 a humble looking sheet of eight pages only, and this was not promised to be issued at any 

 regular intervals, but from time to time as material accumulated which was thought to be 

 worthy of publication. To meet the expenses of publication, voluntary contributions were 

 made by many of the members, and the journal was thus sustained and issued monthly for 

 fifteen months, during which time it was found to be so useful that it met with encourage- 

 ment everywhere. It had also acquired a reputation abroad, and many entomologists in 

 Oreat Britain and the United States had become regular subscribers. Early in 1870 the 



