Ill 



March 5, 1879. 

 J. W. Dunning, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 



Before proceeding to the l)usiness of the evening, Mr. Dunning said 

 that it was his melancholy duty to announce the death of Mr. Frederick 

 Smith, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society, who had only at the 

 preceding meeting been re-appointed to that office. He died on the 10th of 

 February, at the ripe age of seventy-three. Appointed Curator about 1843, 

 elected a Member in 1850, President in 186a and 1863, Mr. Smith had 

 throughout been one of our most useful associates. A constant attendant 

 at our meetings, his readiness to communicate his knowledge to others was 

 unfailing, and what he did communicate was not second-hand information, 

 but was almost invariably the result of liis own personal observation. His 

 entomological work in connection with the British Museum was known to 

 all, and to his colleagues in that institution his loss would be irreparable. 

 For a whole generation he has occupied the position of the British 

 Hymenopterist, and in his knowledge of our indigenous species and 

 acquaintance with their habits he stood without a rival. Retiring and 

 unassuming in manner, he possessed a quiet sense of humour, and amidst 

 the warmth and unrestraint of a social gathering exhibited a capacity for 

 entertaining others which was probably unsuspected by many who knew 

 him only in this room. Blameless in private life, a conscientious public 

 servant, earnest and laboriously painstaking in his work, Frederick Smith 

 had gained the esteem of all, and the Chairman felt that he was truly 

 interpreting the feelings of others when he said that the Society had lost a 

 valuable Member and his colleagues a faithful friend. 



Donations to the Library were then announced, and thanks voted to 

 the donors. 



Election of a Foreign Member and Subscriber. 



M. Ch. Brongniart, of the Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, 57, Rue Cuvier, 

 Paris, was ballotted for and elected a Foriegn Member. 



Mr. John T. Harris, of Newton Road, Burton-on-Trcnt, was ballotted fur 

 and elected a Subscriber. 



Exhibitions, ((x. 



Sir Sidney Saunders exhibited a series of bees belonging to the genus 

 Halictits from Greece. Among them were several remarkable new forms of 

 the males. 



Mr. Wood-Mason, with reference to the extract from Kirby and Spence's 

 'Entomology' read by the Secretary at the last meiliug, t-lated that he had 



