24 



The cases on the south side (on each side of the entrance 

 door) are mostly appropriated to the exhibition of the 

 larger and finer species of silk-producing moths of the 

 family Bombycidse. 



On the north side the smaller cases are devoted princi- 

 pally to the rarer and more noticeable butterflies and moths 

 of Europe, such as the Swallow-tailed Butterfly {Papilio 

 machaon), the Black-veined Butterfly {Aporia cratcegi), 

 the Purple Emperor {Jpatura iris), and the Orange-tip 

 {Anthocharis cardamines) among the former, and the 

 Scarlet Tiger-moth [Callimorpha dominula) and Emperor 

 Moth [Saturnia carpini) among the latter group. The 

 series is continued, mixed with other forms, at the east 

 end of the building. On the larger tables in the middle 

 of the Insect-house are examples of other butterflies, 

 moths, beetles, mayflies, stoneflies, and aquatic insects of 

 different kinds. The whole series exhibited last year con- 

 tained examples of about fifty species. 



Every specimen in the Insect-house is distinctly labelled, 

 and over each of the principal cases is fixed a glazed 

 box, in which are placed preserved specimens of the various 

 stages of metamorphosis of the insect exhibited in the case 

 beneath. 



The Insect-house was opened to the public on the 25th 

 of April last year, and during the season of 1881 was placed 

 under the sole charge of Mr. William Watkins, an expe- 

 rienced entomologist and breeder of insects, whose name 

 is well known to many naturalists. Mr. Watkins, whose 

 services were retained for six months, for the purpose 

 of inaugurating this novel exhibition, has written a series 

 of reports upon the various insects bred imder his charge, 

 which are published in the volume of ' Proceedings ' for 

 1881. 



3. Proposed Railway through the Gardens. 



It has been known to the Council for some years past 

 that a plan was on foot for making a Railway along the 

 north bank of the Regent's Canal which passes through 

 the Society's Gardens, but the Bill of the Regent's Canal 

 City and Docks Railway Company for carrying out this 

 plan was first introduced in the present session of Parlia- 

 ment. After much preliminary negotiation with the 

 Promoters^ which failed in efi"ecting a settlement of the 



