56 THE entomologist's record. 



Prof. Riley, aud his numerous assistants and followers, have often been 

 highly successful." The bibliogi'aphy of the past year is then glanced 

 at ; the barbarous trivial names given by M. Oberthiir are alluded to, 

 and the announcement, interesting to students of synonymy, is made, 

 that Dr. Staudinger is preparing a new edition of his celebrated 

 Catalogue. It is to be hoped that in this, the veteran author will show 

 a wider acquaintance with British authors than was the case in the 2nd 

 edition. Mr. Elwes then passes on to call attention to the difficulty 

 which is occasioned to the student of entomological literature, by *' the 

 rapid increase of the number of sliort notes, descriptions, and pa})ers, 

 and the great number of periodicals in which they are published," aud 

 suggests the appointment b^^ the Eoyal Society, of a committee to con- 

 sider the subject. His own idea is, that a description of a new species 

 should not be recognised by scientific men, unless it is either in Latin, 

 English, French or German (it is suggested by him that Spanish might 

 be added) and is published in some journal, either already existing or 

 to be created, which shall have been determined upon by international 

 agreement as the recognised medium in each country for such publi- 

 cation. The importance of attaching good locality-labels to specimens 

 is emphasised, and the deatli-roll of the year is then passed in review. 

 It is noticealjle how many of the nauies were those of veterans ; Hagen, 

 Blomefield (former^ Jenyns), Pascoe, Burney, Bo\vring, Morris and 

 Speyer were all over seventy years of age, and some of them had passed 

 four-score years. 



At the meeting of The South London Entojiological and Natural 

 History Society, on Jan. 11th, Mr. J. J. Weir mentioned, in connection 

 with an exliibit of American Butterflies by Mr. W. A. Pearce, that the 

 female of Papilio turnus was dimor})liic, and that Limeuitis disippuK was 

 mimic of Anonia archipjms. Mr. Tugwcll, in some notes on Spilosoina 

 lnhricipeda, described the York City form under the name of var. 

 fasciata ; he also exhibited a pair of Plusia moneta, which had been bred 

 by Mr. Matthews ; also a long series of Psilnra monacha bred from 

 New Forest ova, some of the specimens being very dark ; also a pair of 

 Pachetra leucophaea, taken hj Mr. Hanbury on the North Downs. The 

 twenty-first annual meeting was held on Jan. 25th. Mr. Edward Step 

 was elected President ; Messrs. Jenner Weir and C. G. Barrett, Vice- 

 Presidents ; Mr. H. J. Turner, 13, Drakefell Road, Hatcham, S.E., 

 Reporting Secretary ; and Mr. S. Edwards, Kidbrooke Lodge, Black- 

 heath, Correspondence Secretary for the ensuing year. The retiring- 

 President, the genial veteran Mr. J. Jenner Weir, delivered the 

 Presidential address, of which we subjoin an abstract. 



Before commencing, Mr. Weir made the Society a present of a 

 beautiful album, and trusted that members by inserting their photo- 

 gTaphs therein would enable their successors to see the men who were 

 their predecessors in the Society's early days. ]\Ir. AVeir's vast 

 experience, and fund of information based on liis knowledge both of 

 British and Exotic insects, always make his generalizations of value. 

 He first referred to the pleasurable excitement of collecting, and the 

 fact that as an out-of-door exercise, the occupation of the field-naturalist 

 tended to longevity. Turning then to tlie scientific aspect of the year's 

 work, he pointed out that the great feature of the work of the South 

 London Entomological Society, was the skill exliibited by its members 

 in rearing lepidoptera from the egg. He deplored the .paucity of 



