7^ Address. [Ff.t*., 



which may be essential for the explanation, not only of peculiarities as 

 regards distinction of species, but also of those relating to geographical 

 distribution." In the observation of phenomena bearing on geographi- 

 cal distribution, we have, perhaps, one of the most fascinating studies 

 connected with biology. Give an expert, say a butterfly, and he should 

 be able to state within a degree or two its range, and with it the flora 

 of the region that the insect inhabits ; and even the religion of the people 

 of the country, for all alike are affected more or less by climatic zones : 

 puritanism does not nourish in the tropics nor does lotus-eating find a 

 permanent home in northern climes. 



Indian Museum. — Students of biology have in the Zoological Gar- 

 dens and in the collections lodged in the Indian Museum ample materials 

 for the study of our Indian fauna. The gardens are, in addition, a re- 

 cognised recreative resort of the Calcutta public, and the Museum is 

 even more attractive, for, during the last year for which a report has 

 been made, it had 380,297 visitors, of whom 3,987 were European males 

 and 1.008 European females, and 297,942 were native males and 

 77,360 native females, giving a daily average of 1,584 persons. In a 

 certain way both these Institutions must be considered as important 

 factors in the education of the masses, and in a quiet way do much to 

 spread abroad some idea of Natural Science, for which no other means 

 exist. The Indian Museum is practically the Museum of this Society, 

 having been based on our collections, and, though it has now far out- 

 grown any limits that it could possibly have reached if it had remained 

 with us, we have more than a common interest in its progress. Over 10,000 

 specimens were added to the collections during the year, of which the 

 great majority were invertebrates. Attention may be called to the 

 North American vertebrates, the Eastern Crustacea, corals, sponges, 

 and the huge crab from Japan, the Mergui moths, Indian ants, and the 

 European Diptera and Hymenoptera ; besides coins, fragments of sculp- 

 ture from Yusafzai, and an inscription from Buddha Gaya. 



The Trustees permitted Dr. Anderson to take the zoological collec- 

 tion, made by him on their behalf in the Mergui archipelago off the 

 coast of Tenasserim, to England for identification and publication of 

 the results. These have now commenced to appear in the form of a 

 special volume of the Journal of the Linnean Society (vol. XXI). The 

 part received contains the Madreporaria by Prof. P. Martin Duncan, 

 the Holothurians by Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell, and the Lepidoptera by Mr. F. 

 Moore. The other parts will contain eighteen papers by distinguished 

 naturalists on different branches of science. Mr. W. L. Distant has 

 undertaken to write for the Trustees, a ' Monograph of the Eastern 

 Cicadida3,' a most difficult group, and Colonel Swinhoe of the Bombay 



