26 The Irish Naturalist. [ January, 



At the second meeting, Prof. Miall, the President of Section D. 

 (Zoology), warmly recommended the study of life-histories, as follows: — 



" It may be thought that this study of life-histories is not specially 

 suited for the amateurs who compose a large part of the Local Societies. 

 It cannot be denied that the work is hard and has special difficulties 

 connected with it, for to prosecute it in an adequate manner involves 

 some knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and also some acquaintance 

 with the problems of development as well as a considerable power of 

 observation and much enthusiasm. These certainly appear to be large 

 demands, but we cannot expect to get any scientific results of real 

 importance which are not procured at the cost of much labour. The 

 things which lie upon the surface and are easily got at are, as a rule, in 

 the present development of science, not of very great value. If we aim 

 at achieving real scientific results we must expect to have to pay for 

 them both wntli our time and with our labour. 



" If there be anyone here w^io may think of devoting himself to the 

 study of life-histories, I need hardly say that he has an abundant choice 

 of subjects, even in so narrow and so well- worked a country as England. 

 I will ask your permission to take a run over that department of natural 

 history with which I have of late 3'ears occupied myself. I refer to the 

 study of insects. Anyone who has occupied himself with promoting the 

 scientific study of insects, will, I think, agree with me when I say that 

 almost everything still remains to be done. The insects have been 

 collected and classified, but with rare exceptions their life-histories are 

 still unknown. Let me instance the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, for the 

 simple reason that they are better known than the rest. We know well 

 their external forms or shapes ; the stages of many have been recorded 

 and drawn ; and along with these external features we know something 

 about their food-plants, mode of life, and so on ; but how their mode of 

 life and peculiarities of structure are interrelated we know not. I think 

 it is a reproach to the naturalists of our generation that they are content 

 to leave the higher knowledge of insects and devote their whole 

 attention to mechanical details. 



"As a type of what I am dealing with, let me refer you to the common 

 Diptera. I do not think that more than a dozen out of the vast number 

 of these insects have been thoroughly investigated. It seems that 200 or 

 300 have been studied, at least superficially, and of these we know more 

 or less ; but they are among many thousands of which it seems that we 

 are practically in ignorance. What, then, can we expect to learn about 

 such a subject as this unless we are prepared to meet difficulties and 

 incur the cost of time and labour ? Here is a vast and important field 

 inviting the attention of naturalists ; and when we consider the number 

 of enthusiastic naturalists scattered, not only over our own, but also 

 over every other country, we might surely expect most important results 

 if this business were taken seriously in hand. 



" As to the methods of inquiry, let me suppose that any one of you 

 intends to take up live natural history. I should recommend him to 

 study the things which are commonly found round about him ; to procure 



