44 



time, the membership at the end of 1883 having fallen to 44,. 

 and the continuity of the meetings was only maintained by 

 the persistence of a few individuals. 



The removal to Denman Street appeared to instil fresh 

 life into the Society ; the membership began to increase and 

 for the first time in the Society's existence exceeded the 

 hundred ; the meetings became much more interesting than 

 they had been for some few years and drew full attendances. 

 The fauna and flora question also was again raised ; a com- 

 mittee was appointed who drew up a plan for the collection 

 of the necessary information and the compilation of the lists 

 on an elaborate scale, but when the question of publication 

 came to be considered it was found that it must be a serious 

 drain upon the resources of the Society for many years to 

 come. Clearly the project was too ambitious, and it was 

 left to be dealt with later by some more suitable tribunal. 



But our migrations were not yet complete ; the augmented 

 membership soon rendered the available accommodation in- 

 adequate, and larger rooms had to be sought. These were 

 found at the " Bridge House," where the Society prospered 

 for a few years until a change of landlords rendered it 

 desirable, if not absolutely necessary, to quit. At that time 

 we had as an active member Mr. T. R. Billups, who, having 

 a business in the immediate neighbourhood, was in touch 

 with the proprietors of many of the adjacent premises, and 

 through his instrumentality our present meeting rooms were 

 obtained. We have met here uninterruptedly for the past 

 eighteen years. 



From its earliest times the Society has sought to induce 

 an interest in the study of natural history, and to this end 

 has from time to time held exhibitions of natural history 

 specimens to which short lectures were often added, and to 

 which anyone who so desired was admitted. The first of 

 these was held in Dunn's Institute within a year of the 

 Society's formation, and was well attended. I have a vivid 

 recollection of being present as a visitor, and have no> 

 hesitation in saying that what I then saw and heard greatly 

 stimulated any latent interest I may have had in the study 

 of entomology. I recall, too, the pleasure it was to me to> 

 meet men whom I had previously known only by name and, 

 I fear, regarded with a certain amount of unnecessary awe- 

 Similar exhibitions appear to have been held annually for a 

 time, then came a break, and they were not resumed until 

 1884, from which time they were continued, each being on a 

 larger scale, until 1895, when it was found that the limit of 



