The International Congresses of Entomology

Extract

The International Congresses of Entomology appear to have arisen in the first instance as a development of the International Congresses of Zoology of which the first was created in 1889 by the Zoological Society of France. The first Entomological Congress however, came to be through the personal initiative of Dr. Karl Jordan. Dr. Jordan felt that although entomology has a place in Zoological Congresses this was not commensurate with its importance. He considered that entomology was suffering from the absence of a representative organization where entomologists could meet and discuss their common problems. He noted that many important entomological works, large collections and even the name of distinguished specialists remained quite unknown to non-entomological zoologists. He observed that here and there ill feeling had developed among members of the entomological profession to the great damage of biological science. He found that although entomologists were very numerous and had produced a tremendous mass of work a good deal of this had little scientific value. Finally he complained that in Europe, at least, few of the scientific entomologists were at all interested in the insects of importance to agriculture and to health. Some of the colleagues he consulted doubted that an Entomological Congress could be organized but all agreed that it would undoubtedly be beneficial to entomology.