13 



workers to molest. How little is known of dipterous insects ? 



Perhaps their unattractive appearance at first sight causes them 



to be neglected, but there are among them species which are 



extremely beautiful and, if colours are wanted, where can you 



excel the metallic lustre of the genius Chrysomia, or Sargus, or 



even that fly of ill repute, Musca ccesar, L ; if more delicate 



markings are required, what can compete with the black and 



yellow of Oxycera, and most of the family of Syrphidae ? How 



rarely do we see a specimen of that lovely and delicate order, 



Neuroptera ! Mr. King, of Glasgow, some time since presented 



our Hon. Curator with some 50 species from Scotland, and I had 



hoped their presence in our Cabinet would be an inducement to 



some of us to add from time to time to that collection, but I 



regret to say that they remain without any addition yet. Then 



I might refer to the order Orthoptera. Out of a large circle of 



Entomological friends, I only know one who makes any pretence 



to study this interesting family. I must not forget that large 



order, Hymenoptera, with its numerous sub-families. Here is a 



very wide field of work open, particularly amongst the Ichneu- 



monidce, Chalcidce, and Braconidce, and to our young aspirants 



after scientific honours, I may say there are many chances of 



meeting with new species in these groups. To show the still 



almost inexhaustible store in the insect world, I cannot do better 



than quote a sentence from Sir John Lubbock's address to the 



British Association at York, 1881, in which he says, "Lastly, to 



show how large a field st remains for exploration, I may add 



that Mr. Waterhouse estimates that our Museums contain not 



fewer than 12,000 species of insects which have not yet been 



described, while our collections do not probably contain anything 



like one half of those actually in existence." Then again, I 



would encourage a little more mutual help among us ; this seems 



to me a great desideratum. Thus, when a Lepidopterist or 



