60 



drawback to the usefulness of our Societ}-. The cost of 

 publication has been met hitherto by issuing a subscription 

 sheet appealing to the generosity of members, but in the 

 opinion of many it is to be regretted that such a course is 

 found necessary. As a source of income it has been sug- 

 gested by some that the holding of an annual exhibition 

 might benefit us. This, in my opinion, and judging from 

 past experience, might prove a costly experiment. I trust, 

 therefore, that these few remarks may be the means of 

 directing the attention of members to this matter, which has 

 been for some time past a source of anxiety to the Council 

 in general and to the Treasurer in particular. 



The work of the Society during the past year has been 

 quite up to the standard of previous years, both in the 

 number and excellence of the papers read and the exhibits 

 generally. A contribution of much interest, by Dr. Chap- 

 man, on " Inflation in Insects,"' must be singled out as 

 being, without doubt, of very great value, representing, as it 

 does, an enormous amount of time and research in its pre- 

 paration. The Society is also much indebted to Messrs. 

 Lucas and Step for their admirable lantern demonstrations : 

 to the former for so graphically illustrating our various re- 

 ports of field meetings, and many interesting details of the 

 captures effected ; to the latter for giving us such botanical 

 treats, the material for which was, in many cases, collected 

 during our Saturday rambles. What the brothers Kearton 

 have done in ornithology Mr. Step has and is still doing in 

 the wider domain of botany. The lantern has thus been 

 brought into requisition to the greatest interest and instruc- 

 tion of members generally. Nor must I omit to mention 

 the acquisition to the Society, and to the lanternist in parti- 

 cular, of the generous gift of a new portable screen presented 

 by Mr. Harrison. Mr. Stanley Edwards, with his proverbial 

 kindness, continues to provide the necessary oxygen gas. 



The exhibits at the Society's meetings have been of an 

 unusually interesting nature. Those of Messrs. Kemp and 

 Kirkaldy on the Coleoptera and Hemiptera have been par- 

 ticularly welcome, as have also the interesting exhibits and 

 papers on the MoUusca by Mr. Manger. Mr. South's 

 exhibit of Liphyva brassolis, an Australian lycrenid whose 

 larva is supposed to feed on ants, struck me as being a 

 subject worthy of note. The attendance on the occasion of 

 the " Varieties " exhibition was a record one, over eighty 

 members and friends being present. 



Field meetings have become an important factor in the 



