812 THE entomologist's record. 



Almost everyone, in my opinion, takes a great interest in natural 

 living objects, and most have a desire to know more about them, but 

 dry-as-dust information as to classification, where they may be 

 captured, or how many segments they can waggle, and when and how 

 they attained comparative rigidity of the same in the pupal stage, etc., 

 does not pass with them as desirable knowledge, but what the things 

 are doing in the world rather. 



My ideal entomological society for the City of London would have 

 a town membership of at least 2,000 co-operative members, and 8,000 

 country corresponding members. To greatly enlarge the present 

 membership the atmosphere at some meetings should suggest a club 

 rather than a funeral, if possible. This society should be housed in a 

 building where members could meet at all times, and where different 

 lines of work could be carried on simultaneously by those collectively 

 interested in any. If human interests were only studied and catered 

 for by the managers of our scientific societies, the membership would be 

 enormously increased, and the funds greatly enlarged without imparing 

 their scientific value. Attached to the house, or associated therewith, 

 there should be a living museum, which should exhibit the meta- 

 morphoses of the greatest possible number of species; some species would 

 have to be in glass houses — a kind of small Zoological and Horticultural 

 garden rolled into one. The educational and scientific value of such 

 a museum as I have in mind cannot be exaggerated. If it were 

 well arranged, and a good band were added, the gate money from the 

 public should support it. 



An intelligence department should also be organised, with power of 

 initiative vested in the council, or by petition of a given number of 

 members through that body, to call upon all members for desirable 

 information and observations, etc., in the field, from season to season, 

 and a kind of ledger kept, and accounts opened to each species. It 

 occurs to me that a modified form of the British Museum library 

 catalogue would be the best means for registration. Printed pro- 

 ceedings contain a mass of valuable information in a form almost 

 useless for ready reference. In time, most of these could be digested 

 by voluntary work. Thoroughly good manuals, among other 

 things, could soon be produced by this society, and they could be 

 brought up to date from time to time with ease. The usefulness of 

 societies like our own is limited for want of funds at present, and in 

 a wider ideal, and by service of the public. We shall not fail in our 

 reward if we do not falter. 



CrURRENT NOTES. 



Mr. B. A. Bower, F.E.S., Langley, Eltham Road, Lee, is kind 

 enough to offer to any of the readers of the FnttniKiloi/ist'.^ Ikronl 

 a copy of a " Label List of the recent additions to the British Lepi- 

 doptera," that he has recently had printed for private use, on receipt of 

 an addressed and stamped (-^d.) envelope. 



Various authors — Schilfter, Van Bemmelen, Urech and Haase — 

 have shown that the order of appearance of the colours in the scales 

 of the pupal Avings of Lepidoptera is as follows : — (1) The wings are 

 perfectly transparent. (2) They become pure white. (8) Yellowish. 

 (4) The mature colours develop. Mr. A. G. Mayer, commenting on 



