THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 136.] SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1859 [Pkice Id. 
THE UNIVERSITIES. 
We spoke lately of the Entomological 
Societies recently established at Oxford 
and Cambridge, and of the peculiar 
position of a Society composed ex- 
clusively of gownsmen, and therefore 
principally of under - graduates. The 
effective power of such a Society will 
fluctuate much, accordingly as a good 
or bad crop of entomologists arrives 
at the autumnal gatherings ; and sup- 
posing (if it be not treason to suppose 
such a catastrophe) that for three suc- 
cessive Octobers no entomologists were 
to arrive at the University, the Society 
would surely be brought to the verge 
of extinction. 
In such a dilemma we believe that 
a Society confined hitherto to the Uni- 
versity would look anxiously towards 
the Town. The town entomologists 
are not birds of passage, and they con- 
sequently afford that element of per- 
manence which the fleeting character 
of a Society composed chiefly of under- 
graduates mainly requires. 
We fancy that one reason why the 
Entomological Society of Cambridge 
admits townsmen, whereas that of Ox- 
ford is restricted to Members of the 
University, is that there are resident 
entomologists in the town of Cam- 
bridge, and there are none (that we 
know of) at Oxford. 
This reminds one, certainly, rather of 
the reason assigned by the Governor of 
a Prussian town for not firing a salute 
on the arrival of his Majesty Frederick 
the Great. “ Sire,” said he, “ there are 
fifteen reasons why we omitted the cus- 
tomary salute to your Majesty ; in the 
first place, we had no guns ...” Upon 
this the King stopped him, saying his 
first reason was so sufficient he need 
not mention the other fourteen. 
However, whatever may be the cause 
of entomologists existing in the town 
of Cambridge and not in Oxford, 
the fact exercises considerable in- 
fluence on the character of the two 
Societies. 
Oxford has certainly been fortunate 
in its crop of under-graduate ento- 
mologists, and the last batch of fresh- 
men shows no symptoms of the sup- 
ply falling off; but still it is a risk, 
and a tremendous risk, constantly in- 
curred. 
Judging from our own experience, 
we should be disposed to say that 
(i 
