88 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



since breeding cages are kept, in which some of the insects are 

 bred, and the various stages, from "youth to manhood," watched 

 and noted with great attention and accuracy. These cages are 

 very simple in construction, being made of wood with a glass 

 front, and perforated zinc sides, and a small door at the back for 

 the purpose of introducing the insect and its food and for 

 removing refuse. 



Another cabinet which excited admiration was that devoted to 

 specimens of insect dissection. This represents a new departure 

 in the work of the department, and has been introduced in the 

 interest of the rising generation of naturalists ; and Mr. French is 

 to be congratulated on the manner in which the work has been 

 performed. The dissections represent the external anatomy of 

 each natural order, and in many cases of genera also, the different 

 parts of one insect being gummed on to a stiff card and numbered, 

 a key to the numbers being supplied on a separate slip. The 

 subjects already treated include scorpions, beetles, moths, and 

 wasps. It is proposed to supply different sets of these cards to 

 the State schools for teaching purposes, and as the schools have 

 been already supplied with a " Descriptive Chart of Destructive 

 Insects," also revised by Mr. French, we may confidently expect 

 the ranks of entomologists to be materially strengthened in the 

 future from the benches of our State schools. 



Here also is a splendid collection of insectivorous birds, some 

 of which have been exhibited by Mr. French at several of the 

 monthly meetings of the Club in connection with the papers he 

 has read on " The Insectivorous Birds of Victoria." 



It is proposed to increase the present collection as much as 

 possible, that it may be of real assistance to the agriculturist 

 and others, the specimens being so arranged, together with their 

 eggs, that anyone may see at a glance the particular birds and 

 eggs it is desirable to protect. This seems to us to be the 

 required complement to the other branch of work in this depart- 

 ment — destruction in the case of insect pests and preservation 

 in the case of those birds which will assist in that destruction — 

 and it shows the thoroughness with which the Department is doing 

 its work — a tower " four square to every wind that blows," which 

 is worthy of all commendation. 



An extra room has lately been added, which gives accommoda- 

 tion to the nucleus of a library which is in course of formation. 

 It already numbers more than 300 bound volumes, comprising 

 books on practical and scientific entomology, botany, &c., in 

 English, French, German, Italian, and Dutch languages, many of 

 the works being scarce and difficult to obtain. The following is 

 a list of the most important : — " Illustrations of Lepidoptera 

 Heterocera in the British Museum" (BuUer) ; "Butterflies of the 

 Malay Peninsula;" " Libeliulince Europaem" (Charpentier) ; 



