24 
thing, remarked that it must be niggling work making flies, expressed 
a very wide-spread opinion upon the subject of entomology, but the 
truly human desire to discover something unknown has fortunately 
enlarged the field of study, since the more conspicuous forms of life 
have become so well recognised that novelty is more than ever rare 
among them. Yet it is not only in the search for something new that 
the true worshipper of nature finds his greatest enjoyment: to watch 
the habits of birds and animals, to follow out the life-histories of even 
our commonest insects, is a source of pleasure to many, and gives us 
much to look back to in every country place that we have ever visited. 
For my own part, even here in town, I would rather smoke my pipe 
on the house-top, and listen to the flight and call-notes of birds in 
their migrations, than dance till 4 o’clock in the morning at any ball 
that ever was given at the West End. Against all arguments, I am 
prepared to maintain the advantages of a study of nature, and to 
encourage in all possible ways those societies which advocate and 
facilitate such studies against all scepticism. I must insist upon the 
civilising social effect of exchanging views and observations between 
kindred spirits, who meet upon common ground in search for the truth, 
and against all ridicule I am prepared to defend the niggling work 
involved in finding out the difference between one fly and another, no 
less than between beetles and caterpillars, or tigers and elephants, or 
Prime Ministers and I’opes. Such work must be done before any 
definite knowledge of structure and of evolutionary development can 
be attained. Those who allow themselves to be seduced into the 
more attractive branches of biological study, which at present involve 
a good deal of theoretical speculation, are perhaps becoming a little 
too prone to disparage the efforts of systematic workers, which, after 
all, must form the primary basis of all theories and of all deductions, 
if they are to be made useful and intelligible to the public.” 
Mr. Fred Enock then delivered a lecture on the “ British Trap¬ 
door Spider,” magnificently illustrated by his own photographs and 
photographed drawings passed through the lantern, which, at its 
termination, was pronounced one of the greatest successes of the 
evening. 
A programme of music, most kindly arranged by Mr. W. J. Petty, 
was performed during the evening, and the songs of Miss Kingsford 
and Miss Lola Pavlina, the brilliant pianoforte solo of Mr. F. Shaw, 
the songs of Messrs. Theo. Swinburne and Victor Maerker, and the 
trombone solos of Mr. H. l 5 earse, were much appreciated. Light 
refreshments were served during the evening, the whole of the arrange¬ 
ments being undertaken by Mrs. F. J. Han bury. 
May 18th, 1897.— Hetekogynis penella. — Dr. Chapman : Hetero- 
yynis penella, a moth sometimes spoken of as half-way between Psyche 
and Zyyaena, from the flimsy delicate structure of the black male. 
He said : “ Really it is related to Zyyaena, in so far that it appears 
to belong to the same stirps, hut is far lower in the scale of evolution. 
The ? is rotund like the larva, but is even less supplied with 
appendages, having no trace of wings, whilst the true legs are 
organically connected with the pupa-case, retain it in its position 
outside the cocoon, and enable it to return, after fertilisation, to 
the interior of the chrysalis-case within which it lays its eggs.” 
