Lyman Entomological Museum

Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory

The beginning of the Lyman Museum was as the Lyman insect collection bequeathed in 1914 to McGill University by the late Henry H. Lyman, born in Montreal, December 21, 1854. In his will, Lyman gave to McGill University his Lepidoptera collection consisting of approximately 20,000 specimens, entomology books and $40,000 for the preservation and augmentation of his insect collection and entomological library.

The collections grew gradually and today, Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory holdings consist of the main pinned collection, smaller alcohol and slide collections and an extensive taxonomic library.

The collection houses 2.8 million specimens of insects and other arthropods, making it the second largest insect collection in Canada (after the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa), and the largest university insect collection in the country.

The main collection is arranged phylogenetically. The primary type collection is maintained separately from the main collection.

The museum has an active training and teaching program in association with the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill. There is also a popular public education and outreach program that gives the general public a glimpse into the world of insects. A tour of the Lyman Entomological Museum can be organized for groups of all ages. A guided tour includes a visit to the scientific collection of insects and to the live insect laboratory. Visitors will also learn more about insects through our educational insect slide show combined with the microscope stations.

Throughout his life Lyman had a broad interest in natural history, but ended up working as a businessman for his father’s drug’s company. Nevertheless he found time to collect insects, mainly butterflies and moths, and he became one of the leading authorities on North American Lepidoptera. He published over sixty papers in The Canadian Entomologist alone, as well as many elsewhere.

He and his wife perished on May 28, 1914, while they were heading for England on the Empress of Ireland for their postponed honeymoon. The Empress of Ireland sank at the bottom of the St-Lawrence resulting in the loss of more than 1000 people, including both Lyman’.

Web Site of the Museum : lymanmuseum.wordpress.com

Lyman Museum. Photo : Web site of the museum