THE PEESIDENT'S ADDKESS. 



Gentlemen, 



Custom has established it as a duty on the part of the President 

 of this Society that at its Anniversary Meeting he shall lay before 

 the Members a brief account of the proceedings of the Society during 

 the past year. With this duty I have great pleasure in complying, 

 because I think we have reason for congratulation, as well on account 

 of the prosperity of the Society as on account of the progress that 

 has been made in the Science we cultivate. In the first place, then, 

 I will make a few observations on the ijresent state of the Society ; 

 secondly, I will endeavour to educe from this statement what are its 

 future prospects ; and, lastly, I will take a glance at what has been 

 done towards the advancement of Entomology by the publication 

 of memoirs, &c., which have appeared in the various periodicals in 

 this country during the past year. 



First, then, as regards our own Society. An important alteration 

 has been made in the laws which regulate our proceedings : until the 

 present Anniversary the ofi&ce of Curator has been of a more perma- 

 nent character than it will probably prove to be under the new regu- 

 lation ; the election to that ofi&ce will now be of annual occurrence, 

 instead of, as heretofore, by the appointment of the Council in the 

 first instance, and by, as it were, an annual confirmation of the same 

 by the report of the Library and Cabinet Committee. There can be 

 no doubt that annual election has many advantages : we all know 

 how apt we are to become lax in our duties when in snug possession, 

 and although no such charge can be brought against Mr. Janson, 

 who has ably fulfilled the duties of Curator for so long a period, still 

 it may possibly hereafter be found to be a salutary remedy in the 

 case of a less active and energetic Curator. 



