EETROSPECT OF A LEPIDOPTERIST FOR THE YEAR 1901. 



fatigable friend Dr. Chapman is again to the fore in the volume in 

 question, having contributed a paper "On some Wing-structures in 

 Lepidoptera." 



The Kntnmol<)(jlst'>i Record opened the year (and century) with a 

 special " Century Number," which, indeed, overflowed its banks and 

 inundated the greater part of the February number, thus occupying 

 altogether nearly 80 closely-printed pages. Naturally, the articles — 

 which were designed to survey, as far as possible, the entomological 

 progress of the Nineteenth Century — are not all equal in amplitude or in 

 merit, but, nevertheless, they form a very valuable resume, which will 

 often be consulted when the present century is older, and which — -if 

 one may venture to prophesy so far ahead — will be of still greater 

 service when the time comes for the next century review. I cannot 

 refrain from quoting the conclusion of Mr. Tutt's prefatory note to the 

 series, so pregnant is it with suggestions which we should all do well 

 to lay to heart. He points out that the failing points of scientific 

 progress are : " (1) An accumulation of wasted effort in collecting 

 material. (2) Want of initiative in striking out new lines of work. 

 (8) Want of perseverance in following up certain definite lines of 

 experiment and observation. (4) Ignorance of work already done. 

 (5) Inability to recognise the requirements of modern science in 

 methods of work." And he adds: "These are so self-evident that 

 there is no need to waste space in discussing them, and one can only 

 look forward to a time when the conditions of modern life, which are 

 all in favour just now of the sciences which are strictly utilitarian, 

 shall not act against the true scientific enquirer, but put him in the 

 same position for real scientific work, as that in which they at present 

 place his more fortunate brethren, the students of chemistry and 

 physics." I need hardly comment on this extract ; but I am optimistic 

 enough to believe that the real value of entomology in its modern 

 scientific aspects, and the bearing of these aspects upon the all- 

 important science of biology, cannot much longer remain unrealised, 

 but that we shall soon find ourselves much more favourably placed 

 than is now the ca?e for the pursuit of our studies. I must call atten- 

 tion to the "Evolution Committee" of the Koyal Society, which I 

 regard as a happy augury for a wider recognition of our science, 

 seeing that its investigations in the workings of the laws of heredity 

 are being carried out largely upon an entomological basis, under the 

 able superintendence of Mr. W. Bateson, M.A., F.R.S., F.E.S. Let 

 me urge all our members to put themselves into communication with 

 Mr. Bateson, and to ascertain in what way tJiei/ can assist in this 

 enquiry. 



The greater part of the contents of the current volumes of our 

 entomological magazines is of the usual class, indispensable to entomo- 

 logists who wish to keep themselves up to date in their knowledge, but 

 I cannot dwell upon it now. We have to thank our esteemed Vice- 

 President, and former President, Mr. J. A. Clark, for an excellent 

 working-out of aberrations of the protean Peronm cristana in the Knto- 

 iiiold'iist'f^ Iterord, accompanied with beautiful figures of the newly- 

 described forms ; and the same periodical also contains some good 

 work on the Lachneids, by Messrs. Tutt, Bacot, and Warburg, which 

 is timely in view of the third volume of Tutt's BrWuJi Lepidnptera— not 

 yet ready, alas, for the subscribers who are so eagerly awaiting it. In 



