302 THE PROCEEDINGS OP THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



From the re-establishment of Constitutional Monarchy in 

 1816 to its fall in 1848, France was distinguished amongst 

 nations for the many scientific expeditions sent out by the 

 Government, and the magnificent publications in which the re- 

 sults of these voyages and travels were recorded. 



Among those voyages which have been most productive of 

 results, as far as the Australasian region is concerned, may be 

 cited that of the corvette tJranie, under the command of M. L. de 

 Freycinet, in the years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820; that of the 

 corvette Coquille, commanded by M. Duperry in 1822, 1823, 

 1824, and 1825 ; that of the Astrolabe, commanded by M. 

 Dumont D'Urville, in 1826, 1827, 1828, and 1829 ; and that of 

 the corvettes L' Astrolabe and La Zelee, under the command of 

 M. J. Dumont D'Urville, and M. Jacquinot, in the years 1837, 

 1838, 1839, and 1840. 



The zoological collections made during these voyages were 

 veiy considerable, and the results were worked out by the French 

 naturalists of the day, and published with large Atlases of Plates, 

 at the cost of the Government. I refer now to these voyages 

 because I have lately become possessed of a collection of insects 

 from an island which was visited by one of the abovenamed ships 

 — the Coquille — in 1823, and which may be said not to have 

 been visited since, as far as any observation of its natural history 

 was concerned, until the latter part of last year and the first few 

 months of the present. Mr. Cockerell, an ardent and expe- 

 rienced collector of natural objects, was permitted last year to 

 accompany a Wesleyan mission to New Ireland, and he has now 

 returned to Sydney, after several months residence on that island, 

 with a valuable collection of animal's of all orders. The mammals, 

 birds, reptiles, and fish of Mr. Cockerell's collection have been 

 secured for the Australian Museum by Mr. Ramsay, who, I doubt 

 not, will give us some account of them. The insects were pur- 

 chased by me, and the following notes are intended to give a 

 general idea of the Entomological Fauna of the island. 



As might be expected from its geographical position, the 

 insects of New Ireland belong almost entirely to families and 



