CURRENT NOTES. 55 



to me is that there are any others on the market at all. — Louis B. 

 Puour, 246, Richmond Road, N.E. December 28th, 1899. 



©^URRENT NOTES. 



The eighth Annual Exhibition of the North London Natural 

 History Society, was held on December 30th, 1899, and January 1st, 

 1900, and proved a very successful gathering. The members and 

 visitors who were present on the later date, but especially the ento- 

 mologists, were much interested and instructed by a lecture on Mimicry 

 and Protective Resemblance in Insects, with numerous lantern illus- 

 trations, which w^as delivered by Mr. J. W. Tutt, F.E.S. Exhibits 

 in the entomological department were perhaps not quite so numerous 

 as on some previous occasions, but included some good drawers of 

 British lepidoptera, by Mr. L. B. Prout and others, some well illus- 

 trated life-histories, by Messrs. J. A. Simes and A, Quail, and a good 

 show of exotic lepidoptera, among which Mr. Bacot's cases of insects 

 from the Transvaal were specially interesting. 



The presidential address read before the Entomological Society of 

 London, on January 17th, by Mr. G. H. Verrall, dealt with a large 

 number of highly interesting, if debatable, points bearing on such 

 subjects as " unscientific work," "priority," "synonymy," "means 

 and sufficiency of publication," &c. 



"We learn that our esteemed friend, Mr. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., 

 F.E.S., having long since passed his presidential majority, has again 

 been re-elected President of the Lancashire and Cheshire entomological 

 society. 



The Annual Meeting of the South London Natural History and 

 Entomological Society was held on January 26th, when a very satis- 

 factory report was read. The only regrettable feature was the Trea- 

 surer's statement that the Council had been unable from want of 

 sufficient funds to publish its Proceedings in two half yearly instalments 

 as had been done the preceding year, although they would now be 

 published in one volume, with all possible speed. There is a humorous 

 side to a picture that shows the entomologists at Chandos Street 

 investing £1000, because they have more money than they require for 

 current expenses and publication purposes, whilst those of Hibernia 

 Chambers have the material and have to wait until the end of the 

 financial year before being able to afford the money to publish it. 



The balance-sheet of the treasurer of the Entomological Society of 

 London shows a balance of £181 6s. 8d. for the past year. How this 

 flourishing condition of affairs has been brought about is evident from 

 the Presidential address, where we learn that in 1899, there were 300 

 members and £400 invested, whilst in 1899, there were 418 members 

 and nearly £1000 invested. In 1866, the President tells us there were 

 only 207 members, so that whilst there was only a permanent increase 

 of 93 members in the 28 years, 1866-1889, there has been an increase 

 of 118 members in the 10 years, 1889-1899. During the past year, 

 however, we learn from the Secretary's report that there has been a 

 considerable falling off in the number of Fellows elected, and side by 

 side with this a marked falling off in the number and quality of the 

 exhibitions at the ordinary meetings. This latter is strikingly 



