(; xm =) 
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
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GENTLEMEN, 
Ir is agreeable to learn, from the reports of the Council and 
Auditors, that our Society is in a satisfactory condition as 
compared with previous years. If indeed we extend our view 
to a longer period than that of a single year, I think it is 
clear that we have much reason for congratulation. Twenty 
years ago the Entomological Society consisted of only 200 
members, now it has just over 800, an increase of 50 per 
cent., and the larger part of this increase has been in the 
later years of the period. In 1868 we had only £100 of in- 
vestments, and now we have nearly £400. Thus we have 
undoubtedly made a steady though slow progress in material 
prosperity. In regard to scientific activity I do not think 
there is much change: the range of subjects discussed at our 
meetings, and recorded in our annual volume, is about the 
same as it was at the commencement of the period, and the 
volumes are on the whole similar in size or quantity to what 
they were in 1868; but it should not be forgotten that in that 
year a new era in the Society’s existence was inaugurated 
under the skilful management, and aided by the generous 
liberality of our then Secretary, Mr. Dunning. Previous to 
the year 1868 we did not publish any annual volume, but 
only such parts as the Council from time to time felt them- 
selves able to do; and in the period of thirty-two years from 
1836 to 1867 the Society published only fifteen volumes in 
all; we have in the subsequent twenty years published twenty 
volumes, so that the change instituted by Mr. Dunning has 
resulted in just about doubling the amount of matter annu- 
ally published by the Society. Moreover, every Fellow who 
pays his subseription now receives the volume we publish, 
