Ixvii 



him he was a large-minded and open-handed patron of science — 



a scientific Mrecenas. The last six 3'ears of his life were passed 



in quiet retirement at Worthing, where he died on the 13th of 



Sei)tember last, at the age of seventy years. 



In accordance with the terms of our late member's will, Mr. 



Hewitson's Rhopalocera have found a permanent home in the 



National Museum, and his executors have published a complete 



catalogue of the collection. For twenty-one years the " Hewitson 



Collection " is to be retained intact, in the same cabinets, in the 



same order, and under the same nomenclature as the donor 



left it ; but at the end of that time all restinctions cease, and the 



interests of Science will alone determine its future destiny. 



This is the true spirit of liberality : who can foretell what will 



best answer the requirements of the twentieth century, or even of 



a generation hence ? The dead hand should not press too 



heavily or too long upon the living. The lesson which Hewitson 



had to teach was to be learned from a study of his collection 



more than from his published works : 



" Our little systems have tlieir day, 

 They have their day, and cease to he." 



But now that the Hewitsonian teaching is enshrined in the pages 

 compiled by our colleague, Mr. Kirby, and thereb}' preserved for 

 all future students, Time the Destroyer is rendered powerless, 

 and our friend's fragile gift constitutes his moniimentum cere 

 perennius. 



Felicien Chapuis, Hermann Loew, and Camillo Eondani 

 did not belong to our body. But I may be permitted to express 

 the loss which Science has sustained by the death of the Belgian 

 Coleopterist, whilst the removal of the Parmesan, and the still more 

 celebrated Prussian Dipterologist, leaves Eui-ope almost without 

 an authority on the two-winged Order of insects. 



But let us turn from these melancholy records to see what 

 evidence of its vitality the Society has given during the year that 

 has expired. 



In the first place I may say that the interest of our monthly 

 meetings has been fairly sustained ; the record of our Proceedings 

 shows that many valuable exhibitions have been made, and 

 important subjects discussed or ventilated. In proof of this 

 statement it will be sufticient to refer to the interesting conversa- 

 tions which have arisen from the introduction of such subjects as, 



