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9th September, 1885, the President, our colleague M. Eagonot 

 (whom, from his long residence in England, some of us are 

 inclined to claim as a "British entomologist"), did us the 

 honour to announce to his colleagues that we had become a 

 Corporate Body; and it was stated that this distinction was 

 analogous to the recognition as a " Societe d'utilite publique" 

 enjoyed by our French brethren. Of course we are a Society of 

 public utility ! But there is a slight difference. This official 

 recognition on the part of the Government entitles the French 

 Society to an annual subvention, which in 1885 was equal to 

 £24,. I am not aware that in this country any scientific society 

 receives direct official recognition in a financial sense, with the 

 exception of the Eoyal Society, and in this case the money grant 

 does not benefit the Society as a body, but is distributed (under 

 the supervision of a select committee) to individuals, the 

 majority of whom are not Fellows of the Society. 



Our Charter recognises the existing Bye-Laws ; but it may 

 be found necessary to call a Special General Meeting to authorise 

 certain slight verbal alterations, due notice of which will be 

 given. 



In former Presidential Addresses delivered before this Society, 

 it has been the custom to touch upon something beyond what 

 may be termed home affairs. At one time it was not an 

 uncommon practice to give a sketch of the principal results for 

 the pdst year of the labours of entomologists, both British and 

 foreign. I need scarcely say that the repetition of Addresses of 

 this nature has become practically impossible, at any rate for 

 one man ; and even if it were possible, the result might run to 

 the length of an average volume of our Transactions. It has 

 also been a common practice to limit the Address to a considera- 

 tion of one or more special subjects. Such a course I propose 

 to adopt on the present occasion. Not unnaturally the choice 

 of a subject has been before my mind some time, and the choice 

 had provisionally fallen upon Systematic Entomology in its 

 various aspects. I had heard the students of Systematic Ento- 

 mology called by hard names, and I had heard the subject itself 

 styled the lowest form of entomological studies, and as applied 

 partially I feel bound to confess there was truth in the remark. 

 At the same time I felt there was more than gross injustice in 

 the implied stigma, if cast upon systematists as a body. 



