32 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[FEBRUARY 



and the Rev. Canon Fowler, M.A., F.L.S. ; Librarian, Mr. Ferdinand Grut, F.L.S. 

 and as others, Members of Council, Mr. J. W. Dunning, Captain Elwes, F.L.S., and 

 Mr. F. DuCane Godman, M.A., F.R.S., Dr. P. B. Mason, F.L.S., Prof. R. Meldola, 

 F.R.S., Mr. R. South, Mr. Henry T. Stainton, F.R.S., and Mr. Roland Trimen, 

 F.R.S., Lord Walsingham nominated Mr. J. W. Dunning, Captain Elwes and Mr. 

 F. DuCane Godman, M.A., F.R.S., Vice-Presidents for the Session 1890 — 1891, and he 

 then delivered an Address. After remarking on the attractive beauty of some of the 

 larger diurnal Lepidoptera, and the brilliant metallic colouring of certain species of 

 Coleoptera, the influence that such magnificent examples of the wealth of design in Na- 

 ture might have upon artistic taste, and the consequent refinement and increased enjoy- 

 ment of life, Lord Walsingham referred, in illustration of the practical usefulness of 

 entomological studies, to the successful importation into California of the Australian 

 parasites infesting the scale insect (Icerya purchasi ) which had proved so noxious to 

 the orange plantations. Through the efforts of Prof. Riley, upwards of 10,000 

 parasites had been distributed and had since spread very widely, so that in many 

 localities the orange and other trees hitherto thickly infested with this noxious insect, 

 had been practically cleared of it by their aid ; he also referred to the successful 

 fertilisation of red clover in New Zealand by the importation of impregnated queens 

 of the common humble-bee, and to the uses to which the silk produced by various 

 exotic species of Bombycidae had now been successfully applied. Reference was then 

 made to the investigation instituted by Mr. Francis Galton, and to the experiments 

 of Mr. F. Merrifield with the view of determining the percentage of hereditary trans- 

 mission to successive offspring by different generations of successors, and to the 

 valuable auxiliary such experiments and the researches of Professor Weissmann, Mr. 

 Poulton, and others might prove to the study of the laws of heredity, protective 

 resemblance, and natural selection. It was then observed that even if the study of 

 Entomology could claim to have conferred no greater beuefits upon the human race 

 than to have afforded to many members of our urban population an inducement to 

 improve their minds and recreate their bodies, it would have contributed in no small 

 degree to the sum of human health, happiness, and morality ; in connection with 

 these remarks he quoted the words of the Abbe Umhang in the obituary notice of 

 Henri de Peyerimhoff, " J'ai connu plus d'un jeune homme qui s'est passionne pour 

 une branche de l'histoire naturelle, et je n'en ai vu aucun s'ecarter du chemin de la 

 vertu et de l'honneur." Attention was then drawn to the enormous numbers of 

 species of Insecta as compared with the numbers of species of other orders of the 

 Animal Kingdom, and an approximate estimate was made of the extent of the field of 

 Entomology, and of its relation to other branches of biological study. In connection 

 with the subject of the principal works in Entomology continued or completed during 

 the year, special mention was made of the ' Biologia Centrali Americana,' by Messrs. 

 Godman and Salvin, and the ' Revisio Insectorum Familias Mantidarum,' by Professor 

 Westwood. In conclusion, Lord Walsingham referred to the losses by death during 

 the past year of several Fellows of the Society and other entomologists, mention 

 being made of Mr. F. Bond, Dr. Signoret, Mons. Puis, Col. C. J. Cox, Pastor 

 Holmgren, Dr. Franz Low, Dr. Karl Venus, and the Rev. J. G. Wood. Votes of 



