BY THE PEESrOENT. 121 



"We have done nothing either with the reptiles, the fishes, or the 

 land and fresh- water shells of the county. All of them are fitting 

 subjects for investigation, and I hope we shall find among us some 

 who will take these questions up. Fresh-water shells are, I think, 

 as abundant in this county as in any other part of England, and 

 their collection and classification would be an interesting employ- 

 ment, especially for our younger members, during the ensuing 

 summer. 



Nor have we done much in the matter of Entomology, though 

 Mr. Cottam has contributed one paper with regard to the 

 observation of insects, and another on the appearance of the 

 convolvulus hawk-moth in our neighbourhood. There is a very 

 popular though scientific book, a translation from the Erench, by 

 Professor Duncan, on the ' Transformations of Insects.' If it is 

 not in the library, I would recommend any one interested to pro- 

 cure the book, and he will find in it a vast number of subjects, 

 which may induce him to bring observations before us of interest 

 to the Society. Even the common cabbage butterfly, if traced 

 up from its birth, will fill a long chapter in the history of insects 

 — its struggles to escape fi'om some of its clothing, the manner in 

 which it ties itself up, and other matters, are as interesting as the 

 events in many a novel. 



With regard to the habits of bees, wasps, and ants, anybody 

 who has noticed those very remarkable papers by my friend Sir 

 John Lubbock, will see a field of observation open for all of us. 

 The way in which ants have actually contrived to have, one may 

 say, domestic cattle among them — the way in which they employ 

 other insects for certain purposes, leads one to regard them as 

 possessing a greater amount of intelligence than we are naturally 

 inclined to assign to them. Probably the habits of bees and wasps 

 are rather indicative of acquired instinct than of reason, but they 

 are such as to repay the amplest amount of attention that can be 

 directed to them. 



"With regard to Meteorology, we have already in the district 

 several rain-gauges kept, and I am glad to hear that one or two 

 other observations are likely to be taken within the county. I 

 hope we shall have the stations extended at which proper meteor- 

 ological observations will be taken, and the results communicated 

 to us. 



In addition to the ordinary rain-gauge, the firm of which I am 

 a member has been in the habit for a considerable number of years 



