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rearranging the Society's specimens, those whose condition is imperfect are being dis- 

 carded, and the result is that many even of our commonest species are totally unre- 

 presented. The Society's collection ought to be a good one, and, if it conlinue to exist 

 at all, ought to be made better than it is. The present is a favourable moment 

 for invoking the assistance of our Coleopterists. It must not be forgotten that a 

 Society like this has a position to maintain and duties to perform. One of such duties 1 

 surely is to lend a helping hand to those who need assistance and encouragement in 

 the pursuit of that branch of Science which is specially committed to our care. To 

 enable us properly to perform this duty, our predecessors have thought that the Society ' 

 ought to possess a collection of the Entomological products at least of our own country. 

 It is only by the liberality of individual collectors that our corporate collection can be 

 maintained, and we venture therefore to appeal most earnestly to those who have the 

 opportunity of collecting, and at this moment we appeal more especially to the Cole- 

 opterists, to make such donations of specimens as it may be in their power to bestow. 

 We are not asking for unique specimens or those of extreme rarity; we ask only that 

 each will contribute such as he may have in duplicate and in good condition, available 

 for the purposes of study and scientific examination, that by this means the collection 

 may be made a greater credit to the Society, and more in correspondence with the 

 state of entomological knowledge in this country. 



We turn now to finance. The Society will have learnt from the Abstract of the 

 Treasurer's Accounts which has been read this evening that the cash balance in hand 

 has during the past year been reduced, or in other words the payments for 1862 have 

 exceeded the receipts, by £76 5s. 3d, Our present assets are £34 8s. id. in hand, I 

 and £109 14s. 9d. three per cent. Consols. 



The Council feels that some explanation of this is necessary ; and at the outset we 

 beg to state that this excess of expenditure over income has been deliberately and 

 designedly incurred ; we have not drifted into extravagance unawares. A Society 

 well established and influeotially supported, whose numbers are large and the annual 

 contribution high, may very reasonably seek to lay by some portion of its annual 

 income; but a Society whose wh tie incoine is derived from single guineas, and they 

 not over abundant, cannot aiford to hoard its funds or starve the present generation 

 for the sake of the next. A Society must, by a liberal use of the means at its disposal, 

 first establish for itself a certain position liefore it can afi'ord to savei We are of opinion 

 that for a body situated like ourselves, it is neither necessary, nor at present desirable, 

 that a large surplus should be retained ; some reserve-fund must of course be kept to 

 provide against unforeseen emergencies, but the amount thus unproductive should be 

 kept within narrow limits, and should not exceed the probable requirements of the case. 

 Nothing will so much conduce to the interests of the Society, and ultimately to its 

 pecuniary advantage, as a judicious liberality in the use of our present resources. In 

 plain terms, if we wish to advance the Society we must give our present Members and 

 Subscribers as much as we can for their money. 



That an ill-timed parsimony is in the end the most expensive policy has been 

 forcibly brought to our notice during the past year. Our predecessors, either from an 

 economy rendered necessary by the then state of the finances, or induced perhaps by 

 the excusable, but (as we think) the mistaken desire, of showing at all cost a large 

 balance in hand, have cast upon us liabilities which we have now to meet. To effect 

 a temporary saving then of the price of printing a few more copies of the plates for the 

 ' Transactions,' a ten-fold expense is thrown upon us now, which inust be incurred 



