i8g 4 .] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



73 



who shall come after us, or pondering too much (as is quite possible) on 

 those who have gone before, our life-work should be the moral and intellec- 

 tual advancement of ourselves and our fellows, that there may be a 

 realization of the poet's vision of those who," no longer half akin to brute," 

 shall look, eye to eye, 



On Knowledge ; under whose command 

 Is earth and earth's, and in their hand 

 Is Nature like an open book. 



REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY, 



Annual Meeting, 25th January, 1894. — J- Jenner Weir, Esq., F.L.S., President, in 

 the chair. 



This was the annual meeting, and no exhibits were made, the occasion being 

 devoted to hearing the Treasurer's and Council's reports, and the address of the 

 retiring President. 



The President presented a handsome album to the Society, containing three of his 

 photographs at different ages, and said he hoped that all the members would 

 contribute their own, as such a collection would, in the future, probably be of great 

 interest and value. 



The following gentlemen were then elected the officers for the ensuing year : — 

 President, Mr. E. Step; Vice-presidents, Mr. J. Jenner Weir, F.L.S., and Mr. C. G. 

 Barrett, F.E.S. ; Treasurer, Mr. R. Adkin, F.E.S. ; Librarian and Report Secretary, 

 Mr. Hy. J. Turner, F.E.S.; General Secretary, Mr. S. Edwards, F.L.S. ; Curator, 

 Mr. W. West ; Council, Messrs. T. R. Billups, F.E.S., C. A. Briggs, F.E.S., J. H. 

 Carpenter, F. E. Filer, F. W. Frohawk, F.E.S., J. Henderson, and R. South, F.E.S. 



In his address the President showed fully the pleasures and advantages derived 

 from the study of entomology. He spoke of the recent attention which had been 

 given to classification, noticing especially the admirable work of Dr. Chapman, and 

 made considerable reference to melanism, coupling therewith the results of the 

 laborious experiments of Mr. Merryfield. After discussing at length the exceptional 

 season and its effects on lepidoptera, he remarked with satisfaction upon the " new 

 life which the study of variation had given to the collecting of indigenous 

 lepidoptera," A graceful reference to the late Mr. H.T. Stainton as one, who " being 

 dead, yet speaketh," and words of welcome to the incoming President, Mr. E. Step, 

 ended a most able address. 



February 8th, 1894. — E. Step, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Mr. Carpenter exhibited Xylophasia monoglypha, Hufn., (polyodon. L.), both the dark 

 and intermediate forms ; also a form of Agrotis cursoria, Bork., not distinguishable 

 from a southern form of A. tritia, all from Aberdeen. 



Mr. W. F. Warne, a case of nearly two dozen species of Rhopalocera taken near 

 Rockhampton, in Queensland, representing one morning's captures. They included 

 Anosia plexippus, and Deiopeia pulcJiclla. 



