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wonderful marvels which are hereby brought to light. The extraordi- 

 naiy adaptation of structure to habit is a most fruitful subject of 

 inquiry, whilst we cannot too much over-rate the vast importance of a 

 precise knowledge of the larva state of most of the groups of insects, 

 as a clew to their natural relations. Almost every number of the 

 ' Annals of the Entomological Society of France ' contains papers of 

 this kind, whilst I regret to see that our own 'Transactions' now 

 rarely contain any such. 



The Natural Relations of Insects with each other is the last branch 

 of the subject to which I shall allude. By such fanciful minds as 

 those of Swainson, Gravenhorst, and Herrich-Schaffer, I am well aware 

 that much discouragement has been thrown upon the investigation of 

 the affinities and analogies of natural objects, and upon inquiries into 

 their position in the great chain of Nature. I cannot, however, but 

 believe, that a steady examination of the structure and habits of an 

 insect with reference to those of other allied species, is one of the 

 most legitimate objects of our study. To follow this out with effect, 

 however, we must look upon Nature in general, and not confine our 

 view to the productions of a limited district like our own country. 

 This may, however, be done by the careful investigation of a very few 

 exotic types, which cannot but afford an enlarged view of Nature, and 

 which ought, I think, to be undertaken even by the professed British 

 entomologist. 



I have ventured, Gentlemen, to make the preceding observations, 

 simply with the hope that some of our members who have hitherto 

 been content to exhibit to us at our meetings the results of their en- 

 tomological excursions, may thereby be incited to direct their atten- 

 tion to the subject in a more philosophical spirit, and led to give 

 us the result of their investigations, so as to render our meetings 

 worthy of public attention, and our 'Transactions' friendly rivals of, 

 if not indeed superior in value to, those of the French and German 

 Entomological Societies. 



Thanking you again for the honour you have conferred upon me, I 

 cannot sit down without throwing out one remark, which will of 

 course require much discussion before it can be carried into effect, 

 even if approved of, but which seems to me to promise considerable 

 benefits to our members, if adopted in a liberal spirit, — I allude to the 

 distribution of duplicates of rare British species, on the plan which 

 has now been found to work so well for a considerable period at the 

 Botanical Society of London. 



