cHv. Proceedings. 



Zoological Sub-Committee. — Entomological Section. 



The year 1884 has not been a very favourable one for insect iife 

 This is no doubt owing partially to the mild weather last winter, and 

 also to the scarcity of insects last summer, ova being in consequence 

 but sparsely deposited. Although the eye of the entomologist has 

 not been gladdened with the usual abundance of butterflies and 

 moths, the farmer and gardener on the other hand have suffered 

 less from the ravages of farm and garden pests. We have been free 

 from the swarms of large and small white butterflj' larva, which are 

 wont to assail cabbage of various descriptions. The troublesome 

 larva of the turnip and cabbage moth are certainly less common 

 than formerly, and this last summer gardens suffered less from the 

 onslaughts of the caterpillars of the currant moth and currant sawfly 

 than usual. On the whole the season of 1884 was more favourable 

 to the agriculturist than the entomologist. Your Committee, 

 thinking that their work is of little value unless practical, wish to 

 draw attention to the importance of the periodicals relating to 

 insect farm and garden pests written by Miss Ormerod, and to 

 suggest that they should be duly brought before the notice of farmers, 

 gardeners, and others. 



The breeding of varieties of moths and butterflies, as to their 

 markings and colour, is occupying considerable attention among 

 entomologists. An unique and valuable variety of the common 

 tortoiseshell butterfly f Vanessa iirticce) is in the possession of one of 

 our members — Mr. F. Berney — and, we understand, is being figured 

 in the Entomologist. 



The President, in moving the adoption of the foregoing 

 reports, said: — Before moving that the report of the committee 

 be received and adopted, I think we may be congratulated 

 upon the fruitfulness of our past year. Many subjects full of 

 interest, and some having reference to our own locality, have 

 been well discussed at our meetings. The paper by Mr. 

 Klaassen on the section of the Park Hill cutting was of great 

 interest, especially as it related to our own neighbourhood ; 

 and Mr. Low Sargeant's illustrated paper on Micro-Photo- 

 graphy was a great assistance to all those contemplating 

 taking up this subject. I understand Mr. Sargeant is willing 

 to repeat his work at one of the monthly bye meetings, and I 

 hope many members will take advantage of it. 



We have, I am happy to say, sub-committees in connection 

 with meteorology, geology, zoolog}', and botany, and they 

 have done much in gathering information for us, especialh' of 

 local matters. These sub-committees are formed of men who 

 do not desire to retain within themselves those things they 

 find or see, but who are anxious to bring everything 

 prominently before the Club at its meetings, and so benefit 

 the members by the discussions, and it is by these discussions 

 that the truths or fallacies of a subject or matter are brought 



