IHO THK entomologist's RECORt). 



there is a large staff of expert, highly-educated naturalists, engaged in 

 studying injurious insects and how to deal with them. At the Imperial 

 College of Science, in London, a course of Instruction in economic 

 entomology has recently been started, under the direction of Mr. Maxwell 

 Lefroy, the Entomologist employed by the Indian Government, who 

 happens to be in England on leave. But this is only a beginning. 

 The real need is for the definite employment and payment of expert 

 entomologists by our public offices." . . . " The Colonial Office 

 has recently made the usual attempt of Government offices to get 

 scientific worii done for nothing, by appointing an "entomological 

 committee," the members of which are unpaid. It would beinteresting 

 to see an unpaid committee of lawyers or of engineers appointed to do 

 serious work for the public service by a Government Department. The 

 lawyers and the engineers would refuse to work without pay, but the 

 Ro3^al Society, and scientific men generally, are continually asked to 

 do professional work for the Government without pay, and are weak 

 enough to assent to the request. As is invariably the result in the 

 long run, services obtained by cheap methods of this sort are (as justice 

 demands that they should be), incomplete, delusive, and without 

 permanent influence. Even good work obtained by a government 

 office without proper payment is not valued by officials, and is in the 

 end neglected and wasted. The scientific world has seen this in many 

 instances, and has bitterly regretted the loss of valuable work done 

 without payment or thanks, and received without appreciation or 

 understanding. It is a serious necessity for the professional biologists 

 to organise themselves as the engineers, chemists, and medical men 

 have done, and to refuse to be exploited any longer by the clerks of 

 Government departments." 



That is the whole trouble. The government support is so meagre 

 that it is totally insufficient even for the adequate upkeep of the 

 Museum and its Staff. There is nothing left for extension or advance. 

 Practically the Avhole of the additions to the collections are due to the 

 patriotic munificence of private individuals, and the stafl" is so small in 

 its proportion that it cannot cope satisfactorily with the mass of 

 material that has accumulated, much more carry-on experimental 

 and observational work, which is necessary for the elucidation of 

 many economically important problems. 



A communication has just come to hand from Professor A, Busck, 

 whom we had the pleasure of meeting at one of those never-to-be- 

 forgotten afternoons at the house of the late Mr. J. W. Tutt. Prof. 

 Busck is a member of the staft" of the Zoological Section of the 

 Smithsonian Institution at Washington, and in his letter he incidentally 

 mentions that he is at present a member of the Smithsonian Biological 

 Survey of Panama, and is endeavouring to breed and collect the insects 

 in that area more especially the Microlepidoptera. Do any of our 

 Museum staft' often go on Biological Surveys ? If they go at all they 

 get leave of absence, and go " without pay." When shall Ave do 

 better ? 



The February number of the Ikvuc Mcnxnellt' ilf la .Sor. Ent. 

 Nainuroise contains a very appreciative obituary notice of our late 

 Editor. Mr. Tutt had for some years been an honorary member of 

 the Society, and was indebted to several of its members for much 

 matter which had been incorporated in Brituh Lepidoptera. 



