10 



entomologists over thirty years ago, and the parent of the 

 more elaborate magazines which have since taken its place ; 

 his "Entomologist's Annual" for twenty years kept us 

 supplied with information of the work done each year ; and 

 to the time of his decease he was a leading spirit in the man- 

 agement of the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine." 



Another well-known face has disappeared from among us 

 in the decease of Mr. Howard W. S. Vaughan. Recently he 

 has not been much among us ; but those of us who can call 

 him to mind as a young, witty, clever entomologist, keen and 

 skilful, and with the quickest insight and faculty for working 

 out difficult species, know well of what valuable work he was 

 capable. 



Another loss which we lament is that of Mr. C. S. Bouttell; 

 who was, I think, better known to most of you than to myself. 



But we will turn from the sad subject of our losses to the 

 hopeful future. We had last year what must emphatically 

 be pronounced a rich and abundant year in respect of 

 many interesting species — some of very uncertain occurrence. 

 We have now had what is always held to be favourable to our 

 work, a fairly severe winter, which indeed may not yet be 

 over ; and we look for good results — a season in which the 

 outdoor worker will be encouraged by much success, and in 

 which opportunities will be afforded him of increasing our 

 stock of knowledge. In this connection I have thought that 

 you might be interested by a few details which have come 

 under my own observation on a subject, certainly not new, 

 but as yet not fully worked out. It is that of protective -mimi- 

 cry in Lepidoptera. A great deal has been written upon it as 

 observed in species inhabiting distant regions, and conclusions 

 surprising in their nature and their method have, at times, 

 been deduced from it ; but as a quality belonging to Lepi- 

 doptera in general, or, at any rate, to a large proportion of 

 the species, it has hardly received sufficient attention. Yet it 

 is so obvious that the specific names of the large majority of 

 the species in one very important and interesting group of 

 moths have actually been clearly dictated by it, though the 

 applications have not perhaps always been in the happiest 

 taste. I refer, of course, to the group which we call " Clear- 

 wings " — the Sesiidae or Trochiliidae — and although vS. culici- 

 formis is not especially like a gnat, nor S . formiciformis very 

 similar to an ant, nor the name wS, ichneiimoniformis, which 

 might so happily have been given to either of them, par- 

 ticularly suitable to the species to which it is really attached, 

 nothing can be more suitable than the name of .S. crabroni- 



