PREFACE. XIU 



liini that it is the History of Insects, and the Physiology of 

 Insects, and the Classification of Insects, and the Art of 

 Preserving Insects." This book soon went out of print. 



In 1836 the laws and regulations of the Entomological Club 

 were codified ; Mr. Newman was re-elected Curator, and Mr. 

 Walker, Secretary ; and an appeal was made for contributions 

 of insects and books. This appeal was most liberally responded 

 to, many gentlemen, Mr. Newman amongst the number, giving 

 their whole collection ; and other valuable donations of insects 

 were received. So liberal were the donations that the Club 

 had to choose between building a museum and paying a 

 curator, or disposing of all but the British insects. Eventually 

 the bulk of the collection was presented to the British 

 Museum. The second regulation is — "That the Cabinet 

 and Library be open at the house of the Curator, 21, Union 

 Street, Deptford, on the Friday in every week during the 

 months of January, February, March, April, September, 

 October, November, and December." This practice of throwing 

 open his house to naturalists on one evening in the week was 

 continued until 1841. From that year until 1849 the Club 

 cabinets were under the care of Edward Doubleday and of 

 Francis Walker. On Mr. Newman's removal to York Grove, 

 Peckham, in 1849, he resumed the curatorship, and in 185G 

 the weekly assemblies. He always looked forward to the 

 company of his friend Mr. Jenner Weir on these occasions ; 

 indeed, it was in great measure owing to his kind assistance 

 in after years, when health was failing, that they could be 

 continued. In a letter to him, dated 8th September, 1856, 

 5.45 A.M., he writes: — "I am re-arranging the Lepidoptera 

 belonging to the Entomological Club, and am doing this 

 solely for the purpose of assisting beginners, who are almost 

 daily applying to me for names. I purpose being at home at 

 six o'clock every Thursday evening for this especial purpose. 

 You will see that the Collection ought to be in better condition 

 than it now is, or I shall not be so useful as I could wish. This 

 idea is not new : I did the same thii-ty years ago, and continued 

 the i)ractice for many years ; but other cares intervened, and 

 the cabinets went to poor Doubleday, whose generous disi)osition 

 was not qualified for a curatorship, and under him the Collection 



