al 
( exvall 7) 
than by anything else, our credit sinks or rises in those 
circles to whose judgment we cannot be indifferent. Even 
a straw may show which way the wind blows; and as it is 
probable that no copy of our Transactions is ever sold except 
to some one moving in the circles to which I have just 
alluded, I cannot but infer from a substantial rise in their 
sales at least a certain rise in their reputation among those 
for whose approval we most care. 
I dislike boasting, but I think it is generally allowed that 
our Transactions, taken one year with another, are not sur- 
passed in the quality of the Papers contained in them, nor the 
beauty and scientific value of the Plates, nor the care and 
skill with which their Editor performs his thankless, inces- 
sant, and most laborious task, by those of any Entomological 
Society in the world. And as long as such a standard can 
be maintained, without bringing the Society to actual bank- 
ruptcy, I am not inclined to “despair of the Republic.” 
Scientific societies, I believe, generally manage to exist, as 
long as they are doing really first-rate work, and are known 
to do so by those who can judge of it. 
The full utility, however, of a Society like ours probably 
cannot be ascertained either from outside opinion however 
competent, or from any definite and tangible facts which can 
be expressed in figures or inferred from statistics. Thus I 
believe—but from the nature of the case can produce no proofs 
of it—that year by year, partly at least through the influence 
of this Society, individual Fellows (unknown to me personally) 
are being stimulated to do good work (which I am not quali- 
fied to put a value upon, even if I knew of it): that (equally 
without these things coming to my notice) workers on parallel 
lines of research are being drawn by it into helpful association 
and intercourse with one another, and made acquainted with 
older and more experienced workers in the same line, thus 
gaining help, information, advice, etc.,, for which—but for 
attending our Ordinary Meetings—they would not have known 
where to apply, ete., etc. To what extent this is happening 
in one session as compared with another is very hard—in fact, 
I should say, quite impossible—to ascertain, and cannot be 
inferred from the most suggestive of reports. 
