16 



public. Doubtless there are many other papers in preparation, and much efficient work 

 has been privately done which may never be published. 



It would be out of my pro^dnce to specify any of these writings in this address, and 

 much more to express any opinion of their relative value, or to indulge in any critical 

 remarks. That must be left to the reviewers. 



We now have four journals exclusively devoted to our science, and in several others 

 considerable space is allotted to it. In connection with these must be mentioned the 

 annual reports of the State Entomologists. The Proceedings and Transactions of all 

 Natural History Societies also contain frequent articles upon the subject. 



The Canadian Entomologist, Psyche, The Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological 

 Society, and Pajnlio, should be supported by every one of us. Indeed, no man can know 

 how our cause is advancing without them, and as it is likely that none but Entomologists 

 read them, so much the more general should be our patronage that they may be 

 maintained. 



Each of these four seems to occupy its peculiar field. Tlie Canadian is general, and 

 the organ of a special association. Although it is geographically extra limital, yet it is 

 very near to us, and a large share of its original papers come from this side of the 

 Niagara. We claim it as one of our own, and being the oldest and admirably conducted, 

 we hope that its present efficient editor may long continue to conduct it and render it 

 still more interesting and instructive. 



The next oldest is Psyche, and in relation to it I may quote what our first President 

 said in his opening address: ^'■Psyche, though small, is indispensable to every one occu- 

 pied with the insects of North America." It covers a ground not occupied by any other 

 periodical in the world, and is very creditable to the disinterested labours of American 

 Entomologists. Its accuracy has never been questioned, and it is extremely desirable to 

 secure its continuous publication. You know that it was begun by the Cambridge Ento- 

 mological Club, which is really the parent of the Club of the A. A. A. S., which has now 

 been elevated to the dignity of a Sub-Section. The Cambridge Club differs from some 

 others in the cou.ntry in freely granting the use of its library to Entomologists through- 

 out the whole country, and hence it is very desirable that the library should be enriched 

 and the Club thus enabled to extend its benefits still more widely. 



The Bidletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society is a spirited publication, dis- 

 playing much zeal, correct diagnosis and careful description. 



Papilio, the youngest of the family, is entirely devoted to Lepidoptera, and thus 

 occupies an exclusive field and cultivates it successfully. The necessity for it arose, I 

 apprehend, from the fact that our investigators had so much that was new to publish, 

 that room could not be found in the other journals ', and when we consider that the num- 

 ber of our writers is increasing every year, and new discoveries are constantly made, it is 

 plain that all the journals now in existence among us could not jDublish all the communi- 

 cations unless the journals were greatly enlarged. As it is likely that all these editors 

 render their valuable services gratuitously, and that the present patronage would not 

 justify an enlargement, we shall have to be content for some time to come with their 

 present size. 



It is much to be regretted that it was deemed necessary by the editor of the American 

 Entomologist to suspend its publication in January last. We have all derived instruc- 

 tion from its pages, but whilst we shall not hereafter have its monthly greetings as a 

 distinct journal, there is some compensation in the fact that the department it so ably 

 represented lias been transferred to the American Naturalist, in which we discern evi- 

 dences of the same talent which distinguished it under its previous form. 



In conclusion, I will make bold to throw out one or two suggestions. 



1. In view of the wonderful progress which our science has made in this country, 

 has not the time come for condensed, complete, systematic books on each of the Orders, 

 after the style of many German books that might be mentioned? Every one of us is often 

 asked by beginners : What book would you recommend on beetles ? And our answer is : 

 There is none which contains descriptions of all our known species in systematic order, 

 but you must gather them from various monographs, journals and proceedings, which are 

 not easy to procure. This disheartens the young student. The same is to a great extent 



