30 THE entomologist's record. 



§|URRENT NOTES. 



Last year I appealed to our subscribers to support the issue of 

 a " Special Index " to the Record, on scientific grounds. Every 

 copy was sold, and an "Index" to Vol. I. is a desideratum. May I 

 appeal for the support of all our subscribers to that for Vol. II.? It is 

 disappointing when subscribers, who can well afford it, will not support 

 anythmg that is not an aid to the " mere collector." 



The yournal of the Society of Arts, for June 12th, 1891, price 6d., 

 should be obtained from George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent 

 Garden, by every entomologist who is interested in the economic branch 

 of our subject. The paper in it is entitled " History and description 

 of the growing uses of Tussur Silk," by Thomas Wardle, F.C.S., F.G.S., 

 and contains 44 pp. and 36 wood cuts. 



Mr. F. DuCane Godman, F.R.S., has been re-elected President of 

 the London Ent. Soc. ; Mr. J. A. Clark, F.E.S., re-elected President 

 of the City of London Ent. Soc. ; Mr. C. G. Barrett, F.E.S., elected 

 President of the South London Ent. Soc. ; whilst Mr. S. J. Capper, 

 F.L.S., has been re-elected (for the fifteenth time, we believe) President 

 of the Lancashire and Cheshire Society. 



The Report of the Lancashire Soc. shows a deficit, and the Sec. 

 expresses a hope that members, who have not paid their annual sub- 

 scription, will pay up and square matters. This condition of indebted 

 ness of entomologists to their societies, is a great drawback to our work, 

 and generally the offenders are not the members who can least afford 

 to pay. Frequently members, who hold high position in one society, 

 are in arrears in another. The official position of such members is 

 much to be regretted, as there is no doubt that they seek position for 

 notoriety, rather than from a love of our subject. 



The voting for Vice-President of the South London Ent. Soc. ended 

 in a tie between Messrs. Fenn and South. Mr. South was elected (as 

 the nominee of the Council) by the casting vote of the President. Mr. 

 South, who was not nominated as an ordinary member of the Council, 

 therefore, only just retained his seat. 



Mr. J. E. Robson, F.E.S., of Hartlepool, Editor of The British 

 Naturalist, comes to London on February iSth, to read a paper on 

 " The Hepialidse," at the City of London meeting of that date. All 

 entomologists are cordially invited to 33, Finsbury Square, and it is 

 earnestly hoped that a large attendance will be present to welcome him. 



The London Ent. Soc. have determined to drop their meetings in 

 July, August and September, and will hold two meetings in February, 

 March and April, on the second and fourth Wednesdays in those months. 

 The meeting in May will be on the second Wednesday, in the other 

 months on the first Wednesday. 



Mr. F. DuCane Godman regrets the possibility of less scientific work 

 being done in the immediate future, owing to the gathering of large 

 collections in Museums, where there is less chance of the wealthy 

 amateur, with leisure, devoting so much attention to his subject as with 

 a private collection in his own home. Certainly very little useful work 

 is done in Museums. But it appears to us, that the breaking up of our 

 work, so that men become Hesperidists, Pieridists etc., and ignore other 

 branches, is more likely to reduce the sum total of pure scientific work, 



