SOCIETIES. 6& 



imaginal cliaracters, small mercy must, be metetl out to him. Entomo- 

 logists, if they wish to be considered other than dilettanti scientists, must 

 fall into lino with the workers in other branches of biological science. 

 The characters of half-a-ccntur_y ago may or may not be of service ; at 

 any rate, they must be considered in the light of the progressive science 

 we know to-day. Progress, as I have said, must necessarily be slow, 

 but the clogs which retard progress want gently but firmly removing to 

 a region, where, if they can do no good, they can do no harm. 



Gentlemen, if any word I have said to-night leads one of you to 

 take a more serious view of the work in which we are engaged, I shall 

 have been well repaid. The City of London Entomological Society is 

 obtaining a name for scientific work, second to none in the kingdom. 

 The fact that we are numerically weak, that our subscriptions are kept 

 low on purpose to attract the humble worker, at the same time militates 

 greatly against us, in attaining a position in Avhich more Avork can be 

 given to the entomological public. For what we are able to do at pre- 

 sent, we are largely indebted to the generosity of our worthy President, 

 iinder whose guidance the Society has reached a recognised position in 

 the entomological world. Yoii have been reminded to-night that the 

 " Fauna List of the London District," which, two years ago, you 

 authorised (with some enthusiasm) certain members of the Society to 

 draw u}), re(piires printing. I have no doubt that many entomologists 

 outside our ranks would willingly subscrilie if they knew tliat the list 

 was ready, and that the ol>stacle to printing was mainly financial. 

 However, I trust that all will aid the committee, who have the matter 

 in hand, to the best of their ability, and that its publication will be per- 

 severed in. If it be, I am quite sure that it will bring you furtl;er 

 renown, and gain you the further resj^ect of the entomological world. 



And now, gentlemen, I leave you in the hands of our kind President, 

 for another, I hope for many other years ; under his genial rule, I do 

 not doubt that the wheels of this Society will move with as little friction, 

 and the work done be of the same high character, that has marked the 

 preceding years. 



^^"OTICES AND REVIEWS. 



Catalogue of the Lepidoptekous Sui'eufajiily Xoctiih^ found 

 IN Boreal Ajierk^a, by .J. B. Smith, Sc. D. [Published at the 

 Government Printing Office, "Washington]. This bulky volume of 

 424: pages, is " Bulletin No. 44 " of the United States National Museum, 

 and is quite a monument of bibliographical labour. Professor Smith, 

 who is well known as a hard working lepidopterist, x-efers in his 

 preface to the American material in the British Museum, and his 

 condemnation of Walker's work is perhaps well deserved, although, 

 we think, it would have been better not to have published IMr. Butler's 

 disparaging remarks about Walker. Wx' quite agree with tlie author, 

 that "JMr. Butler's knowledge of our (American) fauna is altogether 

 too slight to make his notes conclusive in the case of obscure species," 

 as also with his description of the arrangement of the Noctu^: in the 

 British Museum collection as " an utterly unscientific hotchpotch." The 

 definition of a "type" given l)y Prof. Smith may serve very well for 

 the present, whilst the American specialists are determining their 

 species ; but, when this process is completed, and the variation of the 



