Entomological Society. 4227 



sure that there is not one member of the Society but will wish him 

 God speed ! 



Commensurate to the losses of Mr. Wallace have been the successes 

 of Mr. Bates. Next to those of our own country, we have been accus- 

 tomed to regard the insects of South America as those with which we 

 were most intimately acquainted : the Morphos, notwithstanding their 

 magnificence, the Buprestes, the Cerambyces, the Scarabsei, notwith- 

 standing their magnitude, were yet regarded with comparative indif- 

 ference ; they were familiar as household words, and because familiar, 

 they were held in little estimation. But Mr. Bates has developed new 

 features in the Entomology of that extraordinary continent ; has sent 

 us collections which astonish us equally by the countless profusion, 

 the variety, the novelty, and the excessive loveliness of the species 

 which they contain. And here I venture to make a passing allusion 

 to finance ; and I do this without any collusion with Mr. Bates or his 

 agent, our respected Treasurer. I wish to remind you that collecting 

 objects of Natural History in South America is most expensive ; that 

 the mere transit of the entomologist from place to place, accompanied 

 only by so much apparatus, and so many assistants as are absolutely 

 necessary in virgin forests, where railroads, coaches, or even stage 

 wagons are unknown, is in itself a formidable item of expenditure, 

 and requires almost incessant labour to procure sufficient specimens 

 for their sale to supply a bare return of the cost. Gladly would I 

 induce even those entomologists who are not forming collections of 

 foreign insects to bear a part of the burden, and to contribute their 

 mite towards promoting a cause which must tend so materially to the 

 advance of our science. But Mr. Bates, like Mr. Wallace, has con- 

 tributed observation as well as manual industry : he has given us 

 valuable information on economy, and, in his zeal for the acquisition 

 of specimens, has not failed to make the needful commentary on their 

 habits and manners, their food and their metamorphoses. 



I must also mention, and on behalf of this Society, with profound 

 gratitude, the generosity of our corresponding member, Mr. Thomas 

 Jones Stevens, of Bogota : the exhibitions of this gentleman's beau- 

 tiful insects have added interest to our meetings, and the presentation 

 of them has greatly enriched our collection. 



Neither must I forget Mr. Edgar Leopold Layard, now present at 

 our meeting, who has lately made a very large collection of Cingalese 

 Lepidoptera, including an unusual number of the smaller species, 

 particularly Pyralina. 



