at London. On Tuesday evenings several young men have met for the systematic study of insects under the guidance of Dr. Bethune and Mr. Moffat; on Thursdays the Geological Section has continued, with unabated enthusiasm, to discuss the rocks and minerals of the surrounding country; on alternate Saturdays the Microscopical Section has met throughout the winter to investigate the hidden things of nature and study the beautiful forms which cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Once a month, on Fridays, the Ornithological Section, has gathered together at the house of Mr. W. E. Saunders; the numerous papers by its members, published in the Ottawa Naturalist, testify to the energy and zeal with which they have devoted themselves to the study of bird life. During the summer the Botanical Section took the place of the Microscopical and held many interesting meetings. One field excursion only was made to Komoka, a favourite collecting ground near London; it was thoroughly enjoyed by the few botanists and entomologists who attended. The Branches of the Society at Montreal and Quebec, the former of which has flourished for twenty-eight years, report that they have had a very satisfactory season, regular meetings have been held and many excellent and interesting papers were presented; a few field days have also been found very enjoyable and have helped much in stimulating the ardour of those who attend them. The Toronto Branch, like that at Quebec, is now five years old, but it has not received nearly so much encouragement and support as its twin-sister in the lower Province. Why the "Queen City of the West" should furnish so few entomologist is difficult to understand; it has the advantage of many distinguished seats of learning, several extensive libraries, a number of scientific Professors, and a rich and easily accessible country for exploration. Notwithstanding their limited numbers, the members of the Branch have held frequent meetings, at which several excellent papers were read, and have made good progress in the formation of a collection of insects for the Ontario Department of Education. A noteworthy feature of the Society's work is the delivery of popular lectures by competent members. Dr. James Fletcher has given a large number on insects, noxious weeds and nature study, in various places in Ontario, Manitoba, the North West Territories and British Columbia; Dr. Bethune has lectured, chiefly to school children and Horticultural Societies, in London and a number of towns not far distant, on noxious, interesting and beneficial insects; and Mr. W. E. Saunders has addressed teachers and other assemblies in Montreal, Ottawa and other places as well as in London, on the Birds of Canada. These lectures have been well attended and listened to with great interest, and will evidently do much to awaken and stimulate a love for natural history and a desire to know more about the wonders in plant and animal life that every where surround us. The thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Society was held in London in November last, and was attended by the Hon. J. Dryden, Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, and a number of members from different places. The proceedings opened with a discussion on the San José scale, its ravages in Ontario and the best methods of keeping if under control; much useful information was given by Mr. G. E. Fisher, Provincial Inspector of Scale insects, Dr. Fletcher the Dominion Entomologist and Professor Webster, State Entomologist of Ohio. An evening meeting, to which the public were invited, was held in the Normal School building; the Hon. J. Dryden took the chair and gave the opening address, in the course of which he said that the Entomological Society was one of the best as well as the oldest of the associations aided by the Government of Ontario, that "we need its accurate work and we have been greatly aided and helped by it during all the nearly forty years of its existence, and no doubt shall continue to be helped by it during the years to come". The Rev Dr. Fyles, of Quebec, the President of the Society, gave an address on "The importance of Entomological Studies to the community at large", illustrating his remarks with a beautifully executed series of diagrams, the work of his own hand. He was followed by Dr. Fletcher, who spoke on "The value of nature study in Education and concluded with an exhibition of lantern slides of plants, insects and other natural objects. During the remaining session a number of valuable practical and scientific papers were read, these are published, together with the reports of the Officers, Branches and Sections of the Society, in the 32nd Annual Report recently issued by the Ontario Department of Agriculture. This volume of 128 pages is illustrated with two plates, a portrait of the late Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod, and a series of figures of the Moth Hyphantria cunea, three maps and fifty-eight wood cuts in the text. The principal articles are papers on the Insects of the year 1901 by the Directors, Messrs. Young, Evans and Johnston, and by Professor Lochhead and Mr. J. A. Moffat. "The Painted Lady Butterfly (Pyrameis Cardui)" and the "Entomological Record," a new and highly important feature, which is to be continued annually, by Dr. James Fletcher. "The North American Fall Web worms, illustrated by the beautiful plate already referred to, by Mr. Henry H. Lyman. "The trend of Insect diffusion in North America", the "Imported Willow and Poplar Curculio," and a singular case of a Cheese mite living in the culture intended for the destruction of the Chinch-bug, by Professor F. M. Webster. Two useful papers by Prof. Lochhead on the "Hibernation of Insects" and "Nature Study Lessons on the Mosquito ". A paper by Mr. J. Alston Moffat setting forth his reasons for believing that the Archippus butterfly, whose habits he has studied for many years, does not hibernate. Interesting papers on collecting and field work : by Mr. Evans on the attractive powers of an electric lamp; Mr. Winn on his wonderful captures at a clump of milk-weed at dusk; Mr. Walker on "A collecting trip in South-western Ontario," and Mr. Gibson on "A day at the Mer Bleue." Dr. Fyles contributes a paper on "Crickets "; Mr. Stevenson on "Commercial Entomology", and Mr. Williams on "The Food of the Grass Snake, which he finds to be Cut-worms. The volume closes with a report from the North-west (Canada) Entomological Society, by Mr. Gregson ; and obituary notices of the late Miss Ormerod and Mr. Otto Lugger, by the Editor. "The Canadian Entomologist," the monthly magazine of the Society, is now in its 34th year of publication. The volume for 1901 contains 348 pages, and is illustrated with five full page plates and eleven figures from original drawings. The contributors number sixty-two, and represent Canada, the United States, England, Germany, Luxembourg and India. The principal articles may be classified as follows; Descriptions of new genera, species and varieties in Lepidoptera by Messrs. H. H. Lyman, A. G. Weeks, A. Busck and Dr. Wm. Barnes; Orthoptera by Dr. S. H. Scudder, Prof. A. P. Morse and Mr. A. N. Caudell; Hemiptera by Mr. E. D. Ball and Prof. H. Osborn; Diptera by Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell, Messrs. C. Robertson and D. W. Coquillett; Coleoptera by Prof. H. F. Wickham and Mr. H. C. Fall; Hymenoptera by Messrs. E. S. G. Titus, W. H. Ashmead, T. D. A. Cockerell and C. Robertson; Neuroptera by Mr. N. Banks; and Homoptera (Hemiptera) by Messrs. G. B. King and T. D. A. Cockerell. Eleven new genera and sub genera are described and 123 new species and varieties. Papers on Classification and Systematic Entomology: Ontario Acridida by Mr. F. M. Walker; lists of Lepidoptera from Alberta by Mr. Wolley Dod, from Southern Manitoba by Mr. E. F. Heath; the Moths of Manitoba by Mr. À. W. Hanham and the Butterflies of Nebraska by Mr. M. Cary; Cicadida by Dr. A. D. McGillivray; the Genera and species of Coccide by Professor Cockerell; the Genus Catocala by Professor G. H. French and Mr. O. C. Poling ; Spilosoma congrua by Mr. H. H. Lyman; Generic names in Orthoptera by Mr. J. A. G. Kehn ; discussions of Lepidoptera by Dr. H. G. Dyar, Prof. J. B. Smith and Prof. J. R. Grote; Staphylinida by Dr. E. Wasmann; Coccidae, by Mr. G. B. King; Collecting Notes on Kansas Coleoptera by Mr. W. Knaus; American Bees by the Rev. T. B. Morice and Professor Cockerell; The Genus Osmia by Mr. E. S. G Titus; the Respiration of Aleurodes by Prof. C. W. Woodworth; the Xiphidiini of the Pacific Coast by Prof. A, P. Morse; Note on Bæus by Mr. W. H. Harrington. Life histories of the following insects are given; Xylina Bethunei by Mr. Lyman; several species of Hydræcia by Mr. H. Bird: the Green-house Leaf-tyer by Dr. Fletcher and Mr. A. Gibson; the fall Canker-worm by Mr. D. E. Hinds; several species of Catocala by Messrs. G. M. and E. A. Dodge; Nannothemis bella by Mr. R. Weith and Prof. J. G. Needham; and Arctia virguncula by Mr. Arthur Gibson. In Economic Entomology there are important papers by Mr. E. D. Sanderson on Plantlice affecting Peas, Clover and Lettuce; Diptera bred from Cow mannre by Dr. L. O. Howard; the Exportation and Importation of Beneficial Insects by Prof. F. M. Webster; the Insect Fauna of Human Excrement (a review) by Dr. J. Fletcher. Also a paper on the effects of Scorpion venom by Mr. O. W. Barrett. NOTES ON THE SEASON OF 1902. (WESTERN QUEBEC.)* BY CHARLES STEVENSON, MONTREAL. The season commenced early with every prospect of a good time for the Insect-hunter, but the meteorological conditions soon became of such a nature that there was little sport for the Lepidopterist. The temperature was low with high winds and perpetual rains. However, on the 22nd June, when at Piedmont in the Laurentian Hills, I had the pleasure of adding a new species of butterfly to the Quebec list, which was identified by Mr. H. H. Lyman as Coenonympha inornata Edw. The day was anything but favorable for collecting, as there was no sunshine and several showers. But on a plateau at a high elevation behind "La Montagne," I caught five perfect specimens in twenty minutes time. On returning to the station I found that Mr. A. E. Norris who had gone off in another direction had caught a weather-beaten specimen. This insect has been recorded in Newfoundland, Labrador, Sault Ste. Marie and Lake Winnipeg in Canada, Montana and Minnesota in the United States. Dr. W. J. Holland, who possesses a large series of this species, says that the Newfoundland type is distinctly darker than those in the Northwest. Four of my captures are pale and one dark. capture in the Laurentians it seems probable that its range extends across the continent on the high grounds unfrequented by the Entomologist, and as these regions open up it may prove to be found fairly abundant from Labrador by the Laurentians, along the north shore of the Ottawa on to Lake Winnipeg and into the United States. By this At the same place and date while grubbing among rotten stumps I found an interesting looking larva which was successfully reared to maturity, producing a fine specimen of a click Fig. 35. beetle, rare to us, Pityob'us anguinus Lec. This calls to mind the capture of a very large Eyed-elater, Alaus oculatus Linn (Fig. 35) on the slopes of Mount Royal on the somewhat early date of the 18th May, resting on the trunk of a fallen tree. When the Natural History Society visited Piedmont on the 7th June, a day of rain and drizzle, a few of us enthusiasts braved the elements and I was fortunate enough to get a syrphid fly new to the very fine collection of Mr. G. Chagnon and a moth Mamestra latex, Gn. new to mine. A specimen of the Hag-moth Phobetron pithecium A. & S. was ob- Cychrus viduus, Dej., 11th July, St. Hilaire, Que. * Read before the Montreal Branch of the Entomological Society of Ontario. One specimen was found by Mr. G. Chagnon and two by myself, the reward of an afternoon's scraping among dead leaves and rubbish. Saperda mutica Say., 19th July, Chambly Co., Que. Long-horns were very scarce throughout the season with the exception of Typocerus velutinus Oliv., which was quite plentiful. Platydema ruficorne Sturm, was very abundant in Laval Co. on the 11th May, when Mr. Chagnon and myself obtained over 150 specimens between us in a quarter of an hour. Two weevils that live on water plants Lixus rubellus Rand, and Lixellus filiformis Lec., were captured while boating on the lake at Mont Beloeil, St. Hilaire, on the 9th July. While rearing some Csmoderma eremicola larvæ I found that the attractive "Nimble fly," Zelia vertebrata Say., is its parasite. The beautiful Crane-fly Bittacomorpha clavipes Fab., was very abundant along the banks of a stream running through the village of St. Hilaire, on the 11th July. Specimens of the "micropterous" variety of the Chinch-bug Blissus leucopterus Say., were found at Rigaud on the 24th May and on Montreal Island during July. Lepidopterous larvæ were somewhat scarce, especially such ones as the Tent-caterpillars Clisiocampa americana Fab., and the Tentless C. disstria Hbn. At St. Hilaire the water hemlock borers Gortyna marginidens, were plentiful, but those of the burdock G. rutila, usually so common on Montreal Island, were fewer than in former years, and Cut-worms have not been prominent. But the Tussock-moth caterpillar is spreading among the shade trees of Montreal to a dangerous extent, and it is to be hoped that the citizens will awaken to the fact, before it is too late. NOTES ON THE SEASON OF 1902. BY J. ALSTON MOFFAT, LONDON, Ont. To the collector of natural history specimens, the weather is of the first importance; and in no other of the departments of natural history is the collector made to realize the close dependence there exists letween the weather and success, than in botany and entomology, whilst entomology seems to be the more sensitive to adverse influences of the two. Hence, a cool, wet summer, although it will produce luxuriant vegetation generally, may, nevertheless, place Paris Green and Bordeaux mixture at a discount. Perhaps never in the history of his career, has that antiquated subject of reference," the oldest inhabitant," so completely failed to recall from the dim and distant past, a summer to correspond with that of 1902 in this locality, for uniform coolness and frequent rains, and its natural compensation, a general reduction in the number of insect pests. To the Entomological collector the season may be pronounced a complete failure. During a ramble in quest of specimens, he might see the landscape adorned with flowers, and yet find no butterflies there to give animation to the scene. But as has often been observed amidst a general scarcity, some unusually good finds have been made. Four years ago Mr. Bice secured a specimen of that rare Sphingid Deidamia inscripta, Harr, which he generously donated to the society's collection, the only representative of the species yet there ; but early this season he took another in his own house, whilst yet another was taken by Mr. J.-Tanton in a different part of the city—a notable incident in so rare a species. Mr. Bice also took a fresh specimen in perfect condition, of that attractive Sphingid which is rarely met with here, Ampelophaga versicolor, Harr. That large and attractive southern butterfly, Papilio cresphontes, Cram. Fig. 36, was more frequently seen and larger numbers of it taken than for many years back; which seems rather strange, considering the character of the season. That singular looking Hemipteron Ploiaria brevipennis, Say. Emesa longipes, Fab., whose appearance suggests a componnd between the Mantis and Walking-stick; has been more fre quently observed, and more interest taken in it, and enquiries made about it than ever before, some fine specimens of it having been brought to me for determination. As an illustration of the spreading of injurious species, Mr. C. P. Butler of London, Ont., reported his finding in large numbers Crioceris 12-punctatus, Linn., on his asparagus the early part of August. This is the first observation of it reported in this locality; and so far as observation went, it was then confined exclusively to his neighborhood. Mr. Butler kindly provided the society with a liberal supply of specimens for its collection. There are two species of injurious asparagus beetles, Crioceris asparagi, Linn,, and C. 12-punctatus, Linn., and they differ considerably in their appearance, and to some extent in their habits. Crioceris asparagi |