THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 191 



of these convictions that I venture to offer to the Entomo- 

 logical Society, and more especially to the consideration of its 

 newly-elected Council, the following hints, as appearing to me 

 well deserving their consideration; and I do this the more 

 readily, since the nature of my scientific occupations, no less 

 than my distance from the metropolis, prevents me from taking 

 that active part in the concerns of our Society which the 

 partiality of several of its members have wished me to do. 

 Nor can I conceive a more fit channel for giving publicity to 

 these hints, than through the Entomological Magazine ; a 

 publication which has happily concentrated all the floating 

 records of our fascinating science, dissipated, in their details, 

 over the numerous periodicals of the day; and has thus given a 

 strength and impetus to it, which has eventually led to the 

 formation of a Society exclusively devoted to the natural 

 history of annulose animals. 



All the advantages resulting from a society or combination 

 of individuals, for the accomplishment of any specific object, 

 may be arranged under three heads: — 1st, The facility of 

 union ; 2dly, The general advantages to the science ; Sdly, The 

 particular advantages resulting to individuals. 



1. Under the term facility of union is not only comprised 

 those qualifications that are to be possessed by such as desire 

 to become members, but the expense attendant thereon. In 

 both these respects our Society is unexceptionable. There 

 are, indeed, few entomologists to whom the annual payment of 

 one guinea is inconvenient; and by fixing the contribution at 

 so moderate a rate, we, at least, have avoided the reproach 

 cast upon the scientific institutions of this country by foreigners — 

 that they are made only for the wealthy, and are, essentially, 

 composed alone of the aristocracy. Yet small as this sum 

 may be, it is well known that there are very many humble 

 devotees to entomology, particularly in and about the metro- 

 polis, to whom, in these times, any payment would be incon- 

 venient. Are we, therefore, to hold ourselves aloof from these 

 our poorer brethren, merely because their station in society 

 is inferior to our own ? and are we to debar them the advan- 

 tages of acquiring a taste for scientific entomology, and of an 

 occasional personal intercourse with their more accomplished 

 brethren in the science, merely because their calling in life is 

 below ours, and their pecuniary resources more scanty ? 



