( Iv ) 
history, it behoves us as co-workers in the great battle for 
truth to re-examine our weapons — to ask ourselves seriously 
whether the time and energy of our most active workers is 
being utilized in the best way for the advancement of 
knowledge. 
To many it may appear that the use of hypothesis as a 
guide to investigation is so obvious, that no special advocacy 
is required. All I have to say, in this case, is to express the 
earnest wish that the Fellows of this Society who hold such a 
view may be numerous — the more numerous the better. I 
will venture to remind you, however, that my predecessor in 
this chair has stated, with respect to this method of handling 
entomological problems : — 
I feel, however, for myself, and I think that others must 
also feel, that however great and important is the know- 
ledge which we may ultimately attain, by endeavouring to 
discover the laws which govern the development, variation, 
and distribution of insects, the knowledge we have of the 
actual facts is in many cases quite insufficienl to bring such 
speculations to a definite end. I also feel that the number of 
persons whose talents are sufficiently great to enable them to 
steer a straight course through the numerous difficulties, con- 
tradictions, and doubts which constantly surround such 
inquiries is very limited." * 
I am sure Mr. Elwes will not ascribe any personal motive 
to me in making use of this passage, as representing the views 
of what may be called the conservative school of entomo- 
logists. I feel only too acutely the truth of his remark that 
many agree with him in this opinion ; at the same time I am 
sanguine enough to believe that there are many who do not, 
and on behalf of this constituency I have felt it a duty to 
urge a claim for the speculative method, not as displacing the 
older method of collecting and recording facts altogether, but 
as a stimulus to more systematic investigation, rendered 
imperative by the general advance of biological science. For 
my own part, I believe that the time has gone by when every 
attempt at discovering natural law in the organic world by 
Proe. Ent. Soc. 1893, p, xlvi. 
