THE ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB OF LONDON. g 
réunion is an exceedingly pleasant one, and is quite unique in 
the way of an entomological gathering on social lines. 
For several years past the formal discussion of entomological 
questions has ceased to find a place in the business of the Club 
meetings, but conversation is unrestricted, and naturally turns 
upon entomological matters. It would probably be injudicious 
for the members to endeavour to re-establish a custom which 
obtained under a former régime; I refer to the bringing forward 
at one meeting certain knotty questions to be discussed at the 
next meeting, as, for example, the set of three proposed by 
Messrs. Spence and Newman in January, 1852:—1. ‘‘ What are 
the economy and natural affinities of the genus Boreus?” 2. 
‘Can the species of the genus Pieris be distinguished from each 
other by the scales?” 3. ‘‘Is it desirable to adopt a mononymic 
nomenclature in Natural History as proposed by Mons. Amyot?” 
This kind of thing may well be left to societies of the profound 
class to deal with. 
As has already been mentioned, the Entomological Club has 
a large collection of British insects, among which are probably 
many types, as certain families of different Orders have been 
borrowed by specialists at various times for descriptive work 
(Mr. McLachlan, for instance, had a loan of the Perlide in 1869). 
We have seen that in the past this collection was open to ento- 
mologists for the purpose of assisting them in naming their 
captures, &c., and this is, I believe, still the case, but the fact is 
not generally known. A private house, however, does not 
appear to be the best possible location for a reference collection 
of this kind. Apart from the question of responsibility, its 
custody entails upon the gentleman in charge certain obligations 
in the way of receiving visitors, &c., which it may not always be 
convenient to discharge. Again, many who would be glad to 
examine such a collection are deterred from making use of it 
because they fear to tax the courtesy of the Curator. 
Now that the Club is again exhibiting signs of activity, and 
there is evidence of intention to bring up the membership to its 
normal strength, it would seem to be a convenient time to give 
this matter of housing the collection serious consideration. 
Perhaps it might be found practicable to deposit the cabinets, 
as a loan, with one of the London Entomological Societies 
having rooms of their own. If this course were adopted the 
collection would be open to every one desiring to see it at stated 
periods, which, of course, would be the dates and hour of meeting 
of the particular Society entrusted with the cabinets. 
Before concluding this brief account of the Entomological 
Club, I should mention that the ‘ Entomological Magazine,’ the 
first periodical devoted to Entomology published in Britain, was 
-an outcome of the Club. The first number of this interesting 
journal appeared in September, 1832, and the last, completing 
the fifth volume, in October, 1888, 
