﻿( 
  xliv 
  ) 
  

  

  THE 
  PKESIDENT'S 
  ADDRESS.* 
  

  

  Gentlemen, 
  

  

  If 
  an 
  apology 
  for 
  the 
  shortcomings 
  of 
  his 
  Address 
  to 
  

   you 
  is 
  ever 
  necessary 
  from 
  your 
  President, 
  it 
  is 
  especially 
  so 
  

   from 
  the 
  present 
  occupant 
  of 
  this 
  chair. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  Entomo- 
  

   logy 
  is 
  concerned, 
  I 
  am 
  already 
  in 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  your 
  

   future 
  members, 
  whom 
  Lord 
  Walsiugham, 
  in 
  his 
  Address 
  to 
  

   you 
  two 
  years 
  ago, 
  described 
  as 
  having 
  so 
  specialised 
  his 
  

   work 
  that 
  he 
  could 
  not 
  venture 
  to 
  call 
  himself 
  by 
  so 
  general 
  

   a 
  term 
  as 
  an 
  entomologist, 
  but 
  rather 
  a 
  Pieridist 
  or 
  Hispidist. 
  

   At 
  the 
  present 
  moment 
  I 
  am 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  an 
  Hesperiidist, 
  

   and 
  I 
  think 
  my 
  work 
  is 
  cat 
  out 
  for 
  me 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  to 
  come. 
  

   The 
  study 
  of 
  this 
  most 
  obscure 
  and 
  difficult 
  family 
  of 
  Lepi- 
  

   doptera 
  does 
  not 
  furnish 
  material 
  for 
  a 
  Presidential 
  Address, 
  

   and 
  yet 
  the 
  work 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  to 
  reduce 
  even 
  the 
  Mexican 
  and 
  

   Central 
  American 
  species 
  to 
  order 
  is 
  so 
  exacting 
  that 
  with 
  

   other 
  occupations 
  no 
  time 
  is 
  left 
  me 
  to 
  look 
  right 
  or 
  left 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  my 
  task. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  reduced 
  therefore 
  to 
  saying 
  a 
  very 
  few 
  words 
  to 
  you 
  

   on 
  a 
  subject 
  which 
  has 
  already 
  occupied 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  tlie 
  

   recent 
  Addresses 
  of 
  both 
  Dr. 
  Sharp 
  and 
  Lord 
  Walsingham. 
  

   I 
  refer 
  (1) 
  to 
  the 
  acquisition 
  of 
  fresh 
  entomological 
  materials 
  

   in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  collections, 
  (2) 
  to 
  their 
  examination, 
  and 
  (3) 
  

   their 
  ultimate 
  disposal. 
  

  

  In 
  estimating 
  the 
  probable 
  number 
  of 
  existing 
  species 
  of 
  

   insects. 
  Dr. 
  Sharp 
  arrived 
  at 
  the 
  formidable 
  total 
  of 
  2,000,000, 
  

   and 
  Lord 
  Walsingham 
  was 
  disposed 
  to 
  look 
  upon 
  this 
  figure 
  

   as 
  probably 
  not 
  too 
  high. 
  As 
  our 
  present 
  knowledge 
  extends 
  

   to 
  about 
  200,000 
  species, 
  there 
  remain 
  1,800,000 
  yet 
  un- 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  consequence 
  of 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  H.R.H. 
  the 
  Duke 
  of 
  Clai-ence, 
  the 
  

   Annual 
  Meeting 
  was 
  adjourned 
  /ra/H 
  the 
  20th 
  to 
  the 
  27th 
  January, 
  1892. 
  

  

  