see diminished ; for it is a ven- important point that this main- 

 spring of the Society should always show a balance on the right 

 side. 



Considerable progress has been made in the arrangement of the 

 Collection by the Subcurator and members who have kindly lent 

 him assistance, and to whom the thanks of this Society are due for 

 the trouble they have taken and time they have given towards for- 

 warding this important object. I am anxious to see the Collection 

 in as perfect a state as possible, as far as regards arrangement, in 

 order that its riches may be better known and more easily referred 

 to, feeling assured that a complete arrangement would have the effect 

 of brinslns: members to the Society as well as acquisitions to the 

 Collection itself. Some fine additions have been made to the Collec- 

 tion during the last year, for which the Society have most justly 

 passed votes of thanks. To Miss Hope we are indebted for a very 

 interesting collection of Egyptian insects, and to Mr. H. Cuming 

 for the donation of a very valuable collection from Manilla, contain- 

 ing specimens of great rarity and extraordinary beaut}-. To Mr. 

 M'Clelland and Dr. Cantor we are also indebted for collections from 

 India and the neighbourhood of Chusan, each of much value to the 

 Societv, and showing the interest our corresponding members take 

 in our welfare. 



I must now advert to the loss the Society has sustained in the 

 death of their late Subcurator, Mr. Bainbridge. He was a valuable 

 servant to us, and had the interest of the Society much at heart. 

 His knowledge of Entomolog}- was very considerable; and this, com- 

 bined with great zeal for the promotion of his favourite study, made 

 him a most fit and proper person to fill the situation of Subcurator. 

 By his amiable and unobtrusive manner he gained the good-will of 

 all who knew him, and his loss will be long felt by his friends as 

 individuals, and by this Society as a body. The Council have chosen 

 Mr. F. Smith to till Mr. Bainbridge's place, who is well known to 

 many of the members of the Society for his excellent knowledge of 

 British Hvmenoptera ; and I have every reason to beheve that the 

 choice they have made is one which will be very advantageous to 

 the Society, and that they will have a very efficient officer. 



During the last year the Council deemed it proper, at a small ad- 

 ditional expenditure, to obtain the apartments which we now occupy, 

 and which are far more commodious and advantageous to us than those 

 we held before. We have now apartments which are well suited to 

 the Society's wants ; and having been recently papered, painted and 



