70 
the number of its Members, it must be prepared to give a guinea’s worth for the 
guinea it receives. 
Here, then, is the explanation of that policy of liberal expenditure which has been 
followed for the last two or three years. The object has been to increase the comfort 
of the Meeting-room and the usefulness of the Library—thus providing more espe- 
cially for the metropolitan Members—and to publish such an amount of valuable 
Entomological matter as shall be a fair return for his subscription to every provincial 
or foreign Member. The price to the public of the ‘Transactions’ sent to every 
provincial contributor during the last three years is £3 18s., during the last year 
£1 14s.; and these can be obtained by Town Members at half price. 
It was to attain this result—to place the Society in such a position that it should 
be really worth while for Entomologists to join our body—that the Council has not 
scrupled to avail itself of private aid. But now that by such assistance the point has 
been gained, the Society ought to maintain the position for itself. To do this, our 
income must be increased by an increase in the number of our Members. What 
cannot be done for a hundred at a guinea a head may well be done for two hundred 
at the same rate. 
The number of our foreign Members is quite insignificant, whilst many well- 
known British Entomologists are strangers to the Society. It is to our already 
Members that we must trust to gain others; it is for you to enable the Society to 
continue and extend its career of active usefulness, and prevent it from sinking into a 
state of passive helplessness. 
The scientific meetings of the Society have, as heretofore, attracted a goodly 
attendance. And finally, the Council desires to record the pleasure with which it 
recently beheld so many of our body unite to pay a tribute of respect to their 
esteemed colleague, Mr. Wilson Saunders, in recognition of his many services 
rendered to this Society and to Entomology. 
January 23, 1865. 
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
GENTLEMEN, 
On referring to the Addresses of my predecessors, I find that 
they are generally divided into two parts, one relating to the finances, 
position and management of the Society, the other to the progress of 
Entomology as a Science. The Report you have heard from the 
Council renders it unnecessary for me to enter into the first part; 
I shall only say that I cannot congratulate you on any increase in our 
reserved funds; on the contrary, you will see that there has been a 
considerable diminution. It is right, however, to state that a large 
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