BY THE WAY, 



223 



of " Relics of Linnseus " — books, medals, MSS., field equipment 

 and the like — and to Professor Selwyn Image, whose " Old 

 Entomological Books" gave us an opportunity of comparing the 

 artistic genius of the " Aurelian " fathers, by no means to their dis- 

 advantage, with the latest products of pen, pencil, and process ! 

 Fellows and guests were received at the head of the staircase by 

 the Rev. F. D. Morice, President, and the Rev. George Wheeler, 

 Secretary, and Mrs. Wheeler ; while to the Hon. Secretary of the 

 Committee, to Mr. Stanley Edwards, Mr. R. Adkin, and those 

 other Fellows immediately responsible for the success of the 

 Conversazione we offer our sincerest congratulations. At the 

 same time we venture to hope that more Fellows will support 

 the next gathering, especially from among the younger ranks of 

 the Society. __^^^_^^__ H. R.-B. 



BY THE WAY. 



The thanks of all naturalists are due to Mr. A. E. Shipley, 

 F.R.S., for his efforts to defeat the appropriation of a part of the 

 grounds of the Natural History Museum, in Cromwell Road, by 

 the Science Museum. A Memorial has recently been presented 

 to the Cabinet by Mr. Runciman, proposing the erection of a new 

 Spirit-Building upon ground, to be alienated for that purpose, 

 belonging to the Natural History Department, to the north of the 

 Museum. The present Spirit-Building, with its fittings, has cost 

 over £30,000 ; but Sir Henry Roscoe, one of the principal signa- 

 tories of the alienation Memorial, appears to think it inadequate, 

 and would consider as " a national disaster " any action which 

 prevents the erection of a new one " on the proposed site." Mr. 

 Shipley's counter Memorial most correctly emphasizes the fact 

 that to restrict the expansion of the already overcrowded 

 Natural History Museum would be no less disastrous. How 

 immediate is the need for this expansion is best illustrated 

 by the galleries and high wall-shelves already placed in the 

 Insect " Room," the contents of which are among the smallest 

 objects preserved. What then must be the condition of the 

 Palfeontological Section, where the objects reach the opposite 

 extreme of size, when, as Mr. Shipley truly points out, " more 

 gigantic species . . . are being discovered by expeditions at present 

 in the field " ? We must unite to repel all such encroachments. 



Every provincial entomologist, it may be presumed, has 

 some interest in the museum of his particular town or county. 

 Yet this interest is by no means forcibly exemplified when visit- 

 ing any such establishments. A year or two ago we looked over 

 most of the Yorkshire museums — Leeds, Dewsbury, Bradford, 

 Huddersfield, York, &c. — and the result was distinctly dis- 

 appointing, except in the case of the first-named, where the 

 economics were well though scantily exhibited ; the others all 



