15 



erected over his grave by the pious care of the skilful artist himself, who spend*? his days 

 in cutting marble and granite into classic forms, and half of his nights in studying and 

 figuring the butterflies of his own unequalled private collection. 



Gentlemen, forty years ago I could count the known working Entomologists of our 

 country with the first ten numerals. The older Melsheimer, who may properly be desig- 

 nated as the father of our science in this country. Say, Peck, Gould, Randall, Peale, and 

 a few other pioneers, had died or retired, and the only workers then were Harris, of 

 Cambridge ; Major LeConte and his son John L., of the city of New York ; Fitch, of tho 

 State of N. Y. ; Haldeman, Melsheimer, jr., and Zeigler, of Pennsylvania, and a few others 

 of no special note, were the only ones, as far as is at present recollected, who prosecuted 

 our science with any zeal, and who contributed to its progress by the descriptions of 

 species. There were others who collected insects, but they made no claim to be scientific 

 Entomologists. I remember distinctly when Melsheimer, Haldeman, Zeigler and I used 

 to meet several times a year at our respective homes to read papers, discuss questions, 

 exhibit new species, recite our Entomological adventures, and then adjourn to a weD- 

 appointed table. We regretted that we had no collaborators within two hundred miles, 

 for the LeContes, in Xew York, were our nearest neighbours. In that day there was not 

 a man in Philadelphia who studied insects. We then established "The Entomological 

 Society of Pennsylvania," and after electing all our confreres in this country as honorary 

 members, we had the audacity to confer the same distinction upon some great men 

 abroad, whose letters of gi^teful acceptance indicated that they thought that the Society 

 was something more than a club of four comparatively unknown men meeting in Halde- 

 man's study on the banks of the Susquehannah I 



And now look at the mighty change. In the Naturalist's Directory for 1880 there 

 are no less than 436 names reported as pursuing our science. Now, whilst it is true that 

 many of these may be collectors only, still they are more or less useful. They all must 

 be interested in it to a greater or less extent, or they would not have reported themselves 

 as such. Be this as it may, the increase is simply wonderful and very encouraging. 

 Doubtless there are numerous others in the country engaged in the same delightful 

 employment whose names do not appear in the Directory. 



There is no other distinct branch of science that has so many representatives in that 

 book as ours, excepting Botany and Geology, and in Zoology specially we are ahead of 

 the Ornithologist by over 50; the Conchologist are fewer than 100 all told, and all other 

 specialists in Zoology are behind us. All this is cheering, and we are sure that the num- 

 ber of collabomtors is growing every year. 



But there is a still more encouraging view of the subject, which is founded not only 

 on names, but on facts, and I am sure it will gratify the Section to hear of the number 

 of the published contributions of our fellow-workmen. True, they are not all members 

 of this Section, but they belong to the family, and we hail them as brethren of the same 

 household. 



Most of us have, of course, kept our eyes upon the various journals, and have been 

 pleased to see so many papers, and yet perhaps few of us have any proximate conception 

 of their number and variety. Hence I have thought that probably the most acceptable 

 contribution I could make at this meeting would be a complete list, as far as was pos- 

 sible, of all American Entomological waiters since our meeting in August last, and this I 

 have done and will present it at the proper time. Some names may have been inadver- 

 tently omitted, but these can be subsequently introduced. In order to insure perfect 

 accuracy and fullness, I made the list of each author's writings as far as I could find 

 them and sent it to him for correction, and I here desire to thank those gentlemen for the 

 uniform courtesy with which they granted me their aid. 



This paper will give us a better idea of the progress of our science during the past 

 year than any other mere description possibly could. 



A brief analysis of it gives 77 writers and 302 titles ; 25 of these articles treat of 

 Coleoptera : 19 of Lepidoptera ; 15 of Orthoptera ; 5 of Neuroptera ; 10 of Diptera ; 11 

 of Hymenoptera ; 11 on Hemiptera ; 8 or 10 describe larvse of various orders ; 5 or 6 

 are on fossil insects; a few on Myriopods and Spiders, and 11 on Economic Entomology. 



This brief exhibit will give an idea of what has been done as far as has been made 



