23 



their own cage to that of the other species ; so that, sup- 

 posing Spilosoma menthastri and S. luhricipeda were being 

 tried, we should have male S. menthastri and female S. luhri- 

 cipeda in one cage, and male 5. luhricipeda and female S. 

 menthastri in the other. The best chance of success would 

 probably be with closely allied species, but almost any two 

 species that were really congeneric would be worth a trial. 



Everyone unable to read the original will be greatly 

 indebted to Mr. W. E. Nicholson for his very able transla- 

 tion of Dr. August Weismann's paper on "New Experi- 

 mens on the Seasonal Dimorphism of Lepidoptera." This 

 in conjunction with the previously published work of Mr. 

 Merrifield, Dr. Standfuss, Dr. Dixey, and others, should 

 awaken the interest of collectors and breeders of Lepidop- 

 tera, and induce them to conduct similar experiments, as the 

 results of these might be of value. It is, perhaps, hardly 

 necessary to add that unless the observations are most 

 carefully made, and details noted with the utmost exactness 

 such work would be worse than useless. 



These suggestions are not put forward as at all original ; 

 but at the risk of again going over well-trodden ground, it 

 seemed desirable, in connection with the question of " Col- 

 lector V. Entomologist," to indicate a few of the ways in 

 which the collector or practical entomologist can assist the 

 general advancement of the science. 



We have lost one member by death. John Anderson 

 Cooper died on April i8th, i8g6, from pneumonia, in the 

 forty-eighth year of his age. He was elected into this 

 Society in 1884, and although he did not attend very fre- 

 quently during the last year or so, he always took great 

 interest in our affairs. Apart from his wide knowledge of 

 British Macro-lepidoptera in their various stages, he was a 

 good ornithologist and oologist. The majority of the birds 

 in his collection were set up by himself, and he had amassed 

 a splendid collection of birds' eggs, some of the series of the 

 more variable eggs being remarkable. We have, on the 

 occasion of our Exhibition, often been indebted to him for a 

 fine display of objects in this department. He was exceed- 

 ingly genial and kind-hearted, and as a companion in the 

 field was both instructive and entertaining. 



In conclusion, gentlemen, I have again to thank you for 

 the honour you conferred upon me in electing me as your 

 president. I regret that I have not been able to discharge 

 the duties of the office as regularly as I wished to do, and I 

 must express my obligations to the vice-presidents, Messrs. 



