72 



Report of the Library and Cabinet Committee for 1854. 



The books are in good order; some of them, chiefly serials and pamphlets, which 

 require binding in order to preserve them, we are about to put into the bookbinder's 

 hands. 



The library, continually augmented by donations, now contains many valuable 

 works, and a considerable number of volumes is constantly out on loan to the 

 Members. 



The loss of the second volume of Lacordaire's ' Phytophages,' immediately after it 

 was presented by the Author, has been already reported to the Council and announced 

 at the October Meeting of the Society: hitherto no tidings of it have been heard, and 

 it must be concluded that it was stolen from the room. 



The insects remain in good preservation. During the past year the exotic Diurnal 

 Lepidoptera have been arranged, and, as far as possible, named, by one of the Mem- 

 bers of this Committee : the duplicates resulting are now at the disposal of the 

 Council. A number of duplicates selected from the exotic Coleoptera also awaits the 

 directions of the Council. With the above exceptions, the exotic collections remain in 

 the same unsatisfactory state in which they have so long been, — a condition neither 

 creditable to the Society nor just to the liberal donors of the insects. The Curator 

 finds his time so much occupied, by his routine duties and attending to visitors, that 

 he can do nothing in the matter, and few of the present Members of this Commitlee 

 are able to devote to it the necessary time. The work required might doubtless be 

 done by paying for it, but, considering the little interest taken by the Members gene- 

 rally in the foreign collections, we could not recommend such a course. As the 

 existing state of things is constantly becoming worse, some decisive measures should 

 be adopted, and we apprehend the only practicable plan is for the Council to request 

 such of the Members of the Society as are conversant with the several Orders of 

 insects, and have the requisite \\me at their disposal, to allow themselves to be 

 appointed Members of this Committee, with an especial reference to the arrangement 

 of the exotic insects. If the collections were once arranged, future additions could be 

 put into their proper places, and the Museum would become useful to students and a 

 credit to the Society. We, however, have reason to doubt if the Society at present 

 possesses suflBcient cabinet room to carry out this object, and it is for the Council to 

 consider what steps should be taken in the matter. 



(Signed) 



EDWIN SHEPHERD. 

 A. F. SHEPPARD. 

 J. W. DOUGLAS. 

 EDWARD W. JANSON. 



