V.— MISCELLANEOUS. 



Art. XLIX. — On Entomological Ficld-tcork in New Zealand. 

 By G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. 



[Presidential Address to the Wellingto7i Philosophical Society, delivered 



19th June, 1900.] 



In accordance with the established custom, the task of de- 

 livering an inaugural address devolves on me this evening, 

 and I trust that members will excuse the comparatively 

 limited scope of the subject which I have selected for my 

 address. I feel, however, that any essay on general science 

 that I could compile would not be at all adequate for the 

 occasion, more especially when contrasted with those ex- 

 tremely able contributions of a general nature which have 

 been already given to us by several of my predecessors in 

 office. 



With your permission, I therefore propose to occupy your 

 attention for a brief interval this evening by some remarks on 

 matters of general interest in connection with entomological 

 field-work in New Zealand, and shall dwell especially on those 

 methods of investigation which are likely, in my opinion, to 

 be the most conducive to the advancement of science in the 

 future. In fact, I intend to emphasize what has to be done, 

 rather than what has been already done, as by this means 

 I hope to stimulate and encourage our rising naturalists to 

 direct their energies into useful channels. 



In any country where the insect fauna is incompletely 

 known it may be safely said that the first and most important 

 step to be taken by the naturalist is the formation of good and 

 exhaustive collections of specimens. This is especially the 

 case in New Zealand, where the progress of settlement and 

 the introduction of dominant forms of life are producing the 

 most rapid and far-reaching changes in the original inhabit- 

 ants, both animal and vegetal. Dr. Sharp, in an address 

 delivered before the Entomological Society of London some 

 years ago, drew special attention to the need for the immediate 

 formation of collections of insects, especially in those parts of 

 the world undergoing rapid changes through the agencies of 

 civilisation. He also mentioned that the felling of forests in 

 islands inflicts a fearful loss on the naturalist. As he points 



