82 Address. [Feb., 



the study of the Invertebrata. The number of students would be 

 greatly increased were the means of identifying animals greater, and 

 even from a practical point of view, the only view in which, I regret to 

 say, the majority of the world is capable of sympathising, much good can 

 be done. For instance, the injury done yearly by insects to the crops of 

 India is something enormous, without considering the mischief inflicted 

 by our various six-footed rivals and enemies in other ways. Yet we 

 scarcely know which kinds of insects are to be guarded against, nor 

 what are their natural enemies, and any one desirous of ascertaining the 

 species, and of learning what is known about their habits, must search 

 through an extensive library in order to gain the information required." 

 Since these lines were written, Col. Marshall and Mr. de Niceville have 

 taken up the Rhopalocerous section of the Lepidoptera or butterflies, 

 Colonel Swinhoe and Mr. Cotes are about to give us a list of the Hete- 

 rocerous section or moths, and Mr. E. T. Atkinson has completed the 

 Homopterous section, and commenced the descriptions of the Heteropter- 

 ous section of the Rhynchota. Still very much remains to be done, and 

 I believe there are amongst us men to whom the work would be conge- 

 nial, and who would spare no pains to make it good. I would now call 

 on such, whether members of our Society or not, to take up even a sec- 

 tion of the orders untouched, and to aid us by preparing lists, collecting 

 specimens and noting the habits and life-history of the species. I should 

 be glad to see our Native Members take more interest in Natural Science, 

 and thus wipe away the reproach that, perhaps, with the exception of the 

 late Babu Harimohun Mukharji and one gentleman in Bombay, there 

 is not a single native of India, known outside its limits, for proficiency 

 in either Botany or Zoology. 



A vote of thanks to the President proposed by Mr. Westland was 

 carried by acclamation. 



The President announced that the Scrutineers reported the result 

 of the election of Office-bearers and Members of Council to be as 

 follows :— 



President. 



E. F. T. Atkinson, Esq., B. A., C. S. 



Vice-Presidents. 



Dr. Rajendralala Mitra, C. I. E. 

 Lieut.-Col. J. Waterhouse, B. S. C. 

 J. Wood-Mason, Esq. 



