1898.] Proceedings of Irish Societies. 27 



those animals which he is accustomed to see again and again every day, 

 and which he will not have to go a mile or two to procure, say from the 

 nearest stream if not too far away. Then as to the heljjs which exist, 

 there is a literature of this subject, but one difficulty is that most, if not 

 all, of this literature is written in a foreign language. 



" To incite beginners to undertake this special work of the study of 

 life-histories, I think that something might be done if we were to put 

 before them a single example of a common insect worked out with some 

 degree of detail. If that were done in England it would get over the 

 difficulty felt by naturalists who have not made acquaintance with a 

 foreign language. We have hardly any examples of life-histories worked 

 out and presented to us in a thoroughly acceptable form. This difficulty 

 seems to me so considerable that I am now trying to draw up such a life- 

 history of the Chironomus^ or blood-worm, which is everywhere accessible. 

 It is one of the most instructive insects known to naturalists, and in 

 twelve months I hope to have its life-history ready for the use of the 

 student.' 



"But it is not enough merely to have a book put into the hands of 

 students ; they must know how the actual work of observation is done. 

 It might be possible to pick up from among the members of the 

 Corresponding Societies in various parts of England an enthusiastic party 

 of young men to show them how particular things are done. For 

 instance, how to capture certain kinds of insects, how to study them 

 anatomically, how to disclose the embryonic development and inner 

 changes which accompany metamorphosis. Let me suppose that out of 

 the members of the local societies situated within convenient distance of 

 the city of I^eeds, where I have my laboratory, twelve should agree to 

 assemble some time next summer, say in July, and take up the work 

 which I have proposed, each to bring his own microscope, if he has one. 

 I will then undertake to go through a quite elementary course of 

 training on the Chironoj/ms, its life-history and its development. I think 

 I can undertake to initiate such a party of investigators into a useful 

 method of carrying on the study of life-histories, and I think they will 

 carry home with them, from a short course of study, a determination to 

 pursue the work. We could then try the experiment in another district. 

 London for instance ; and I should also be glad to do anything by way 

 of correspondence to further this study. 



" If we should succeed in carrying out this plan it might lead to a 

 revival of the study of natural history in our country. Each student 

 might turn into a centre of infection when he went home, and spread the 

 virus through his brother naturalists." 



^ It will be seen that Mr. Denis Pack-Beresford, an amateur naturalist 

 in the south of Ireland, has contributed to the current number some 

 interesting notes on the habit of the larva of Chironoj/itis (pp. 4-6.) 



