4 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



vised, as far as possible, both as to species incorrectly included, 

 and as to localities. Also, in 1873, a "Catalogue of the Described 

 Diurnal Lepidoptera," and a "List of Australian Longicorns." 

 These useful compilations, though now out of date, did much to 

 help and stimulate Australian entomologists, at that time, when 

 access to, and a knowledge of, the necessary literature, was so 

 diffieult to acquire. They are referred to, in an appreciative 

 manner, by Professor West wood in his Presidential Address to 

 the Entomological Society of London, in 1873. 



Mr. Masters retired from the Australian Museum to take up the 

 position of Curator of the Macleay Collection, offered to him by 

 Sir William Macleay, in February, 1874. About a year earlier, Sir 

 William had intimated, to the Senate, his intention of presenting 

 the Macleay Collection to the University of Sydney at some future 

 time. That is to say, Sir William had only an alternative choice 

 in the ultimate disposal of the portion of the Macleay Collection 

 which he had inherited — the original collection of his uncle, Mr. 

 Alexander Macleay, enlarged, and still further developed, by his 

 cousin, Mr. W. Sharp Macleay; and the only other course open to 

 him, was to arrange for its return to a University in England. But 

 Sir William was too keenly interested in Australia, and in an en- 

 deavour to put entomology, in common with other branches of 

 Natural Science, on a firm basis in New South Wales, to take any 

 other course than he did. 



With the appointment of Mr. Masters, the Macleay Collection 

 began to develop rapidly — by purchase, by the efforts of special 

 collectors, as the result of collecting trips by Sir William and Mr. 

 Masters, sometimes accompanied by Professor Stephens, and 

 especially by the acquisition of the extensive marine and other col- 

 lections obtained during the expedition to the north-east coast and 

 to New Guinea, in the "Chevert" in 1875. Some record of the con- 

 sequent expansion of the collection, will be found in the earlier 

 volumes of the Society's Proceedings, and need not now be referred 

 to in detail. 



In 1888, a suitable building having been provided for its recep- 

 tion, since then known as the Macleay Museum, Sir William trans- 



