(¢ alye 4) 
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
GENTLEMEN, 
In assuming the Presidency of this Society last 
January, I felt grave doubts as to whether my doing so 
would be conducive to the welfare of the Society, because in 
the first place. I felt that the amount of knowledge I have 
been able-to acquire, covered but a small part of the great 
order of insects, and therefore would not-enable me to offer 
the remarks and criticisms which are expected from the Presi- 
dent on many of the varied objects which are exhibited at our 
meetings ina manner that would satisfy all; and secondly, 
because, like many others of your members, I find that the 
time which I am able to snatch from the numerous duties, 
interests, and pleasures which crowd upon one is too little to 
enable me to attend to the affairs of the Society as I should 
wish to do. 
I also felt that there was a desire among some of our 
Fellows that the chair should be filled by one who has de- 
voted himself more to what is now called the biological side 
of the subject, rather than to the collection and systematic 
arrangement of Lepidoptera, which has been, and will pro- 
bably remain, the principal object of my entomological studies. 
I feel, however, for myself, and I think that others must also 
feel, that however great and important is the knowledge 
which we may ultimately attain by endeavouring to discover 
the laws which govern the development, variation, and distri- 
bution of insects, the knowledge we have of the actual facts 
is in many cases quite insufficient to bring such speculations 
to a definite end. I also feel that the number of persons 
whose talents are sufficiently great to enable them to steer a 
