Entomological Society. 4005 



at any former period. The ballot for four new members of the Council then took 

 place, when F. Bond, Esq., J. Curtis, Esq., J. Lubbock, Esq., and J. O. Westwood, 

 Esq., were elected in the room of W. S. Dallas, Esq., W. W. Saunders, Esq., S. J. 

 Wilkinson, Esq., and W. Wing, Esq., and the following gentlemen were then elected 

 officers for the year: John Curtis, Esq., F.L.S., fee, President; Samuel Stevens, Esq., 

 F.L.S., Treasurer; J. W. Douglas, Esq., and Edwin Shepherd, Esq., Secretaries. 



The President delivered the following Address, for which and his services to the 

 Society during the last two years the Meeting passed a cordial vote of thanks, and 

 requested he would allow the Address to be printed. 



Votes of thanks were also passed to Mr. Stevens and Mr. Douglas for their services 

 in the respective offices of Treasurer and Secretary. 



THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 

 Gentlemen, 



Time with that rigid punctuality, which disregards alike human 

 haste and human delay, relieves me to-night of those honourable duties 

 with which you have entrusted me ; and, permitted by custom, I in- 

 dulge in a retrospective glance at our progress during the past year. 



From the Report of the Library and Cabinet Committee you have 

 learned that our books and collections are in good preservation, but 

 that the exotic insects are in an unsatisfactory state as regards ar- 

 rangement and naming ; an invitation is held out, to such of you as 

 are willing to give your services, to join the Committee and take part 

 in this most desirable labour, and I sincerely hope I shall hear of 

 members voluntarily coming forward and applying themselves to the 

 task : I believe I may even now hint to the Society an offer by Mr. 

 Smith to undertake the arrangement of the Hymenoptera, and we 

 know that there is no member of our Society so capable of accom- 

 plishing the task. 



I have particularly to congratulate the Society on the state of its 

 finances as disclosed in the Auditor's Report just read : two years ago, 

 owing to unusual and perhaps unavoidable outlay, the Society had 

 incurred a debt which was only liquidated a few days before I came 

 into office by the generous contributions of several of its members, 

 but I am fortunate, peculiarly fortunate, in having presided over the 

 Society for a period of two years during which it has been entirely 

 self-supporting, during which the Chancellor of our Exchequer has 

 drawn from legitimate sources all the funds requisite for the main- 

 tenance of our position, and now exhibits a large surplus applicable 

 XIII. L 



