( xviii ) 



Mr. Jeuner Weir congratulated the Fellows, as he might now call them 

 on the position which the Society had attained, and on the privileges which 

 had been granted. He invited remarks. 



Mr. Dunning said there was one thing in connection with the Charter 

 of which he could not allow the Society to remain in ignorance. When, in 

 1883, it was decided to take action in the matter, he had invoked the 

 assistance of our member, Mr. Frank Crisp, and left the conduct of the 

 affair entirely in his hands. He thought the result which had been 

 announced was a sufficient justification of the step. In truth Mr. Crisp 

 had taken the burden upon himself, and relieved the speaker from all 

 trouble. Now that the object had been obtained, Mr. Crisp had, with 

 characteristic generosity, written to say that he has no charges whatever 

 against the Society. He therefore moved that the hearty thanks of the 

 Society be given to Mr. Crisp for his valuable and gratuitous services. 

 This was seconded by Mr. Stainton, and carried unanimously. The 

 Secretary was instructed to communicate the vote to Mr. Crisp, who was 

 not present at the meeting. 



Jonkheer May, while gladly acknowledging Mr. Crisp's kindness, 

 thought that it was only Mr. Dunuing's modesty which induced him to 

 take this means of diverting attention from his own share in obtaining the 

 Charter. It was to Mr. Dunning also that the Society was indebted, and 

 he moved that the hearty thanks of the Society were due, and should be 

 given to him. Mr. Meldola seconded the motion, and it was carried 

 unanimously. 



Mr. Dunning, in acknowledging the vote, said that when temporarily 

 occupying the chair, some six years ago, he had said, " Incorporation by 

 Eoyal Charter is not beyond our hopes." Tt was only a passing thought, 

 and he had little expectation that the hope would so soon be realised. To 

 himself, it was an unmixed pleasure to have been instrumental in obtaining 

 that which alone was wanting to complete the fabric of the Society, and 

 give it that status to which its history of fifty years afforded a claim, the 

 justice of which has now received such graceful recognition. Hitherto we 

 have been only a fortuitous concurrence of atoms ; now we have a legal 

 existence, and are a body corporate, one and indivisible, and, as far as any 

 human thing can be, perpetual. But if our privileges have increased, so 

 also have our responsibilities ; and those responsibilities can only be 

 discharged by the united efforts of the individual members who in the 

 aggregate form the Society. We have to take care that the future of the 

 Society shall be worthy of its past, that by the constant introduction of new 

 blood our l)ody shall never grow old, but shall with ever-renewed vigour 

 march witli the times, welcoming and aiding in every advance of Science, 

 and tshall for many an age to come unite under one banner the Entomo- 

 logists of the whole Kealm over which the Grauter of our Charter rules. 



