43 



typical collection of insects of all orders was commenced, 

 and although even now far from complete it has sufficiently 

 advanced to be useful for reference, there being in several 

 orders few species that are not represented. A collection of 

 dried plants was also taken in hand, but does not appear to 

 have made much headway. In 1896, however, the very 

 extensive herbarium formed by the late Mr. W. H. Tugwell 

 was presented to the Society through the generosity of Mr. 

 C. A. Briggs, and for the last few years Mr. E. Step, whose 

 intimate knowledge of the British flora is well known to you 

 all, has very kindly been engaged upon its arrangement in 

 accordance with modern ideas ; the greater part of the 

 collection has already been dealt with by him, and thus 

 forms a valuable reference collection for those interested in 

 botany. 



Among the earlier works also undertaken by the Society 

 was the preparation of a list of the insect fauna of Kent 

 and Surrey which progressed satisfactorily as far as the com- 

 pletion of the manuscript in 1879, but lack of funds prevented 

 its publication ; fortunately, however, the work entailed in its 

 preparation was not altogether thrown away, as in later 

 years those who had been chiefly instrumental in its prepara- 

 tion were able to make use of the information that it con- 

 tained for other purposes. 



The difficulty of finding a suitable habitation appears to 

 have been a source of trouble to the Society from its com- 

 mencement. At the end of the first year of its existence 

 the room at Dunn's Institute was found to be inadequate, 

 and a move was made to an assembly room at 104, West- 

 minster Bridge Road. This appears to have satisfied the 

 requirements of the Society for the next half a dozen years, 

 but then a continuous shifting of quarters began, first to the 

 South Metropolitan Temperance Hall, in the Blackfriars 

 Road, then within a year to a room at 94, New Kent Road, 

 an inconvenient place where a stay of some three or four 

 years was made, when another move was made to a room at 

 '60, Blackman Street, Borough, whence, within a year, a 

 hasty retreat was made, and after a close time of some 

 two or three months rooms were secured in a more con- 

 venient neighbourhood at 1, Denman Street. This continual 

 shifting of quarters undoubtedly had a prejudicial effect ; in 

 addition some difference of opinion arose among the members 

 as to the support accorded by some of them to a " National 

 Entomological Exhibition " held at the Royal Aquarium, 

 and for some four or five years the Society had rather a bad 



