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of many of our members to attend the meetings ; and the Society can- 

 not fail to suffer if this state of things continue. It has consequently 

 been a source of some anxiety to myself and colleagues to devise some 

 means of making the meetings more attractive. My candid opinion is 

 that, if the more learned of our meaibers attended oftener, and gave 

 the younger and more inexperienced amongst us the benefit of their 

 superior knowledge, we should soon see a change for the better. The 

 President, in his address of last year, spoke of a hope that the example 

 of a few gentlemen who work in a larger field than most of us, might be 

 followed, and that Entomology might be looked upon more as a whole, 

 and not confined to one or two groups ; I think it would undoubtedly 

 add to the attractiveness of our meetings, if this were so, and that our 

 exhibits were not so exclusively confined to the macro-lep'doptera. The 

 same gentleman, in alluding to the Fauna list, which it is our ambition 

 to compile, hinted that the subject would be shortly revived. I confess 

 that since that time I have not heard so much as a whisper of this all- 

 absorbing topic ; but, in order that it may not be lost sight of, let me 

 suggest to you to-night that each of us keep a diary or register in the 

 coming year, and bring the result of our captures and observations to- 

 gether at the end of the season ; we shall thus be storing up reliable 

 data for the desired end. I have been shown such a diary to-night, used 

 by one of our members, which appears to me to be perfect. It used to 

 be the custom, a few years ago, to hold special meetings now and then, 

 when every member who attended was expected to make an exhibit, and 

 was allowed to introduce a friend ; these meetings might be revived with 

 advantage, as well as the annual excursion, which was certainly the 

 means of bringing many of us together, and which seems to have been 

 abandoned this year. It has also been suggested that we do not confine 

 our attention to Entomology, but that we enlarge the scope, and change 

 the character, and, if necessary, even the name of our Society, by in- 

 cluding other branches of Natural History in our studies. 



In conclusion, I have to thank you for the courtesy I have received 

 in the performance of my duties, and especially for the consideration 

 you have shown in respect of my somewhat irregular attendance at the 



