1863.] 
313 
REPORT OF THE RECORDING SECRETARY FOR 1863. 
The Recording Secretary in presenting his Report, would beg leave 
to state that it will of necessity be a very brief summary of the trans¬ 
actions of the Society during the past year. The Proceedings that 
are published from time to time, leaving but little matter wherewith 
to make out an Annual Report. 
It affords me much pleasure in being permitted to speak of the So¬ 
ciety, as being in still greater prosperity and advancement than at any 
time heretofore; a fact that will readily be established by reference to 
the Reports of the Committees to whose charge the various depart¬ 
ments have been entrusted. 
The Cabinet has been greatly increased during the past year, by 
numerous and valuable contributions from friends at home and abroad, 
tending to show the zeal and interest that is manifested in behalf of 
this interesting branch of natural science.* 
The Library has been largely increased during the past year, by 
the addition of many rare and valuable works, furnishing a pretty com¬ 
plete reference for the Student of Entomology.f For this rapid in¬ 
crease, the Society is greatly indebted to our fellow-member Dr. Thos. 
B. Wilson, who has thus shown his desire to enceurage that spirit of 
investigation and study so necessary to carry out the objects for which 
this Society was organized. 
Not only does the Library bear witness of his noble and disinterested 
The following extracts made from the Reports of the Committees in charge 
of the various departments, will exhibit the condition of the Cabinet at the 
fesent time:— 
Coleoptera now 
in the Collection, 3,908 species. 
Increase 929 species. 
Lepidoptera “ 
a 
“ 3,854 
2,450 
Hymenoptera 
414 •* 
197 
Diptera “ 
‘‘ 
335 
a 04 
Neuroptera ‘‘ 
121 
60 
Orthoptera “ 
a 51 ‘‘ 
12 
Hemiptera ) 
a 
342 “ 
a 121 
Aptera ) 
Making a total of 9,025 species, being an increase of 3,833 species during the 
past year. 
t There is now in the Library 890 volumes and pamphlets, being an increase 
of 417 during the past year. 
