( >^1 ) 



of many leading Entomologists ; I do not by any means 

 take this to heart personally as your President, but it does 

 appear to militate against the success of our Meetings, as 

 I feel sure that it has a tendency towards reducing general 

 interest and detracting from the value of the discussions. I 

 do hope that our leading Entomologists may see their way to 

 attend more frequently in the future, and not only join in 

 discussions but open up for themselves subjects which may 

 excite greater interest. 



As usual the real work of the Society has been done by 

 the Secretaries and the Treasurer, and just as a year ago I 

 deplored the loss of the hardworking Mr. J. J, Walker when 

 he was ordered abroad on the Queen's service, so now do I 

 most sincerely regret that Mr. C J. Gahan has intimated to 

 the Council that his personal occupations are too pressing to 

 allow him to remain one of our Secretaries in the future. I 

 take this opportunity to say that during my first year of office I 

 was very much indebted to Mr. Gahan for the kind help and 

 the patient way in which he gave assistance to me in my 

 position, and though it may be possible for the Society to get 

 another Secretary in his place as the Society always has 

 done in the past, yet I feel certain that nol^ody could have 

 more patience with many of the Contributors to our Proceed- 

 ings and Transactions than Mr. Gahan shewed during bis 

 term of office. When Mr. J. J. Walker was obliged to send 

 in his resignation a year ago it was most uncertain as to who 

 would take his place, but the old proverb that "One Volunteer 

 is worth two pressed men " seemed to come into force, and 

 Mr. Henry Rowland-Brown, a Fellow of our Society, who 

 though elected in 1887 had been previously but little known 

 to us, expressed his willingness to step into Mr. Walker's 

 shoes. I have watched Mr. Rowland-Brown's work very 

 closely, and I have strong hope that we have found a 

 successor to the late Mr. Dunning. To some of the younger 

 Fellows of this Society I may say that I fully believe that 

 we owe our corporate life and existence to Mr. Dunning ; 

 because the work that he did for years as Secretary and the 

 curious anonymous donations which fell into the hands of 

 the Society in the days of its deepest depression kept the 



