■336 THE entomologist's kecord. 



Leindopiera has been completed, so also has the fourth and last volume of 

 The British Noctuce and their Varieties. I have been repeatedly asked — 

 Why not bring out an up-to-date volume dealing with the physiological 

 and philosophical sides of entomology in a popular form, and, as far as 

 possible, in untechnical language ? After consideration, I set to work 

 and wrote a series of articles in what I trust may be considered a 

 popular and readable form, introducing the various physiological 

 processes connected with lepidoptera in all their stages, and also the 

 main philosophical questions bearing on lepidoptera noAv before the 

 entomological public. This is now being published as Random Eecol- 

 lections of Woodland, Fen and Hill, and this meagi'e list appears to total 

 the actual appeals made for the support of British lepidopterists. A 

 miserable show compared Avith the sister sciences. 



Probably the Societies have been rather less active during the 

 current year than usual. The Entomological Society of London 

 festivated this year, and its meetings are now held on such a variety of 

 days, that without a member's card in front of one, it is impossible to 

 remember when the meeting is to be held. Its Transactions, however, 

 are up to the mark as usual. They contain so much matter too, relating 

 to British lepidoptera, that no one with any pretence of being considered 

 a scientific entomologist can possibly do without them. The City of 

 London Entomological Society under Mr. J, A. Clark, has had a very 

 successful year, a number of most important scientific papers having 

 been read at the meetings. Its modest Transactions contain a summary 

 of its work, and the various papers read are printed in extenso. The 

 South London Ent. Society has had a most jDlacidand peaceful year, the 

 meetings have been exceedingly quiet, and papers (with the exception 

 of notes read with exhibits), conspicuous by their absence. It has how- 

 ever produced the I'roceedincis for 1890-'91, a very readable volume. 

 Of the provincial Societies, the Lancashire and Cheshire Ent. Society 

 and the Birmingham lead the way, whilst those of Cambridge, York, 

 Penarth, Leicester and Nottingham, occasionally let us know of their 

 existence, but I have not noticed the publication of any important con- 

 tributions to entomological science which have been read before them, 

 except the paper by Mr. Earren previously noted. 



Of the magazines the E.M.3I. still receives most of the notes and 

 articles relating to Di^Dtera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera; The Ento- 

 mologist appears to have improved considerably, and to have let the 

 fauna of China and Japan go considerably by the board. The British 

 Naturalist has been noted this year for Dr. Buckell's strictures on Mr. 

 Dale's synonymy papers. Whether such papers as those of Mr. Dale 

 make up for tliose healthy-toned botanical papers by Mr. Soutter, redo- 

 lent of country lanes and woods, is hardly a matter for our considera- 

 tion. " Spiders " and " Sphinges " still come slowly on, the information 

 relating to the latter in many instances, appears only to be brought ujj 

 to about 1870, the author not being up to date in magazine and other 

 literature. The Naturalist, The Annals of Scottish Natural History 

 and The Irish Naturalist ^Ji'ovide us with an occasional important 

 entomological article. 



If the scientific lepidopterist has not startled the world in 1893, at 

 any rate, the observer and collector alike will look back with pleasure 

 on a year, the meteorological conditions of which, rarely fall more than 

 once in the life-time of any individual. — J. W. Tutt. Decemher 

 1st, 1893. 



