( lxxxiv ) 



contributed to the Transactions are of a biological character, 

 and that many of the papers contain, besides the full 

 descriptions of new species that are not only important but 

 necessary, notes on their life histories and habits. 



One of the most satisfactory features of the volumes published 

 of late years is the amount of space given to the Proceedings. 

 These record the periodical meetings of the Society, when, 

 by means of the objects exhibited and of the observations 

 that arise out of them and out of the papers read, many 

 valuable facts are made known j they frequently give rise to 

 discussions of the greatest interest, and it is important that 

 the advantage of these should not be lost to those who are 

 not present at the meetings when they take place. It is of 

 course impossible that your Honorary Secretaries, to whose 

 skilled and assiduous labours we are so greatly indebted, should, 

 unassisted, record with sufficient fulness all the salient points, 

 but if those who bring forward objects for exhibition or take a 

 part in the discussions will always render assistance by handing 

 in notes of their contributions and of their observations, a 

 satisfactory record can be preserved. 



I hope it will not be out of place to express the satisfaction 

 with which the Fellows of the Society have observed that 

 some of their body, including two members of the Council, 

 Professor Poulton and Dr. Dixey, were among those who 

 took part in the expedition to South Africa of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science. We congratulate 

 them on their successful journey and their safe return in 

 vigorous health, and I suppose we may say with even enhanced 

 knowledge, from which our discussions have already derived 

 benefit. I think I may add that our gratitude to them in- 

 cludes a prospective element, for we know that they have 

 brought back much that is of great value in the way not only of 

 specimens but of recorded observations, from which the future 

 Transactions and Proceedings of the Entomological Society, 

 of which they are such important members, cannot fail to 

 derive much advantage. 



I follow the time-honoured practice of referring to some 

 of the Fellows of the Society whose loss during the past year 

 we have to deplore. 



