THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 108.] 
THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Ten years ago matters, indeed, looked 
serious, and it was quite lime that 
some steps were taken to improve the 
position of the Society, for it had then 
an annual expenditure exceeding its 
income, and, as a natural consequence, 
it was in debt, owing in round num- 
bers about one hundred and fifty 
pounds, — a sum considerably in excess 
of an ordinary year’s income. 
In addition to the proposal for a 
new class of Members termed Sub- 
scribers (which it was hoped would 
attract to the Society many eminent 
provincial entomologists who had not 
then joined the Society), it was sug- 
gested that several of the existing 
Members should compound for their 
future payments, and thus raise a fund 
with the view of clearing the Society 
from debt, and an urgent appeal was 
made to the then Members to com- 
plete their sets of the ‘ Transactions.’ 
These two suggestions both look 
effect ; some nine Members at once 
compounded, thus raising a sum of 
jE 94 lOi-., and in the year 1850 the 
sale of ‘ Transactions ’ reached the 
almost fabulous amount of £98 10s. 7d, 
The year 1850 witnessed also an 
[PillOE \d. 
addition of eighteen to the number of 
Members and Subscribers to the So- 
ciety. The result of such efforts was 
manifest; in January, 1851, the Society 
was able to show a favourable balance 
sheet, and published it. 
From that time the course of the 
Society has proceeded steadily onwards, 
and the balance in favour of the So- 
ciety last Christmas was upwards of 
seventy-five pounds. Since then a large 
sum has been received from the pro- 
ceeds of the sale of the Society’s 
Exotic insects. 
Now, seeing that the Society is in 
so flourishing a financial condition, and 
seeing that at the present day ento- 
mologists are increasing so rapidly in 
numbers, what is there to prevent an 
almost unlimited expansion of the En- 
tomological Society of London? Want 
OF SPACE. 
Though the funds of the Society are 
elastic, the walls of their meeting- 
room are not so. Hence, given the 
square feet contained in that meeting- 
room, and given the average diameter 
of an entomologist, it is not dillicult 
to calculate the greatest possible num- 
ber that can be contained within that 
space; we say nothing about being 
accommodated there, for the Meetings 
have long been so crowded that comfort 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1858. 
