50 Address. [Feb, 



Mr. de Niceville has continued his work on the Butterflies of India, 

 of which volume III, containing the Lyccenidce, lias just been published. 



To facilitate the study of Indian Entomology, the publication has 

 been commenced, in our Journal of a series of Catalogues of the 

 various groups of Oriental Insecta. Two of these Catalogues, compris- 

 ing the Gicindelidcd and Gapsidce, have been compiled by our late 

 President, Mr. E. T. Atkinson, C. I. E., and published as a Supplement 

 to Part II. of the Journal. Mr. Atkinson's work has been taken as the 

 model upon which the catalogues of other groups are to be constructed 

 as entomologists can be found to undertake them. Mr. Atkinson has 

 also commenced a similar catalogue of CarahidcB, while progress has 

 been made with the catalogues of the OrtTioptera, Neuroptera, and Dip- 

 tera, undertaken by Dr. Henri de Saussure, Mens, le Baron de Selys 

 Longchamps, and Mons. J. Bigot respectively, whilst Mr. Cameron's 

 " Catalogue of the Oriental Hymenoptera " provides for that group. 



Progress has been made with the classification of the general ento- 

 mological collections of the Indian Museum, where large numbers of 

 fresh specimens have been received and their determination in many 

 cases effected with the aid of entomologists in different parts of the 

 world. The object kept in view has been the formation of a complete 

 and reliably identified series of Indian Insects, which shall be available 

 for reference, so as to reduce the difficulty which has hitherto existed in 

 obtaining the identification of species. An appeal has been made by 

 Mr. Atkinson, as Chairman of the Trustees, to entomologists in Europe 

 to assist in the determination of the unnamed portion of the Museum 

 collections. A large number of English and foreign entomologists have 

 agreed to work out certain groups, but aid is still required for portions 

 of the Neuroptera, the Pseudo-neuroptera, and a few families of the Cole- 

 optera, which it is hoped may be forthcoming. 



I last year noticed that the special attention of the Trustees had 

 been given to the investigation of insect pests destructive to crops, and 

 that arrangements had been made for systematic work on Indian Eco- 

 nomic Entomology. Further progress has been made, under the editor- 

 ship of Mr. E. C. Cotes, who has devoted himself most zealously to this 

 question, not only in the investigation of the species which are of 

 economic importance as pests destructive to crops, bat also to those 

 which are producers of articles of commercial value, such as silk and 

 lac. These practical applications of scientific entomology have been 

 conducted by Mr. Cotes in cooperation with the Agricultural and Forest 

 officers of the Government and with the aid which has been freely 

 afforded by planters and other private persons in different parts of 

 the country. The information collected is being published in a new 



