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The president of a certain Natural History Society, in one of the southern counties, remarked the other day, in the course of his annual address, that his society “had exhausted the district!" The accuracy of his remarks may reasonably be doubted. But certainly no such opinion can be expressed with regard to this part of the country. Even among the Macro Lepidoptera, there are several of our local rarities whose "life-history" still remains to be written. The earlier stages of G. ilicifolia, if known at all, are so only to a privileged few. A. nireus, in spite of the labours of Mr. Brown and others, remains to a great extent a puzzle. B. bicuspis would probably be far mere frequently found if some competent observer would devote himself to examining into its habits, and informing his brethren 'anent' them. C. xerampelina, though probably far from scarce in certain localities, is still looked upon as such, mainly because the majority of collectors are unacquainted with its habits in the earlier stages. And so with many other insects. There is surely something better to be done, in such a field as this, than the mere amassing of a collection, It may fairly be doubted whether a cabinet of Lepidoptera, is in itself such a desirable possession. What we really want are observers—men of the stamp of Thomas Edward, the hero of Mr. Smiles' fascinating book—who will note with a keen eye the characteristics of the insects inhabiting their own special locality, and add to the general stock of knowledge by recording their characteristics for the information of their brethren. We hope that many such records as these will find their place, before long, in the pages of the Midland Naturalist; and, if this be the case, it is certain that our own district will soon be as well worked, and as thoroughly organised for the steady of Natural History in all its branches, as any part of England.

The Entomostraca, though commonly called "Water-Fleas," are not insects, but crustaceans. They breathe by a sort of gills and the general surface of the body. They have two pairs of antennae and mostly more than three pairs of legs, borne by the thorax and abdomen conjointly. They never lave wings, or even traces of wings. Consequently it is incorrect to speak of then as "fleas." They are, in fact, little creatures allied to the shrimp and the lobster. With the exception of Apus, which is 2½ inches, and Chirocephalus, which is one inch long, the Entomostraca are very small animals, yet not too small to be seen with the naked eye. They are readily picked, with a dipping-tube, out of the jar of water containing them, and are more easily managed in the live-box than the strictly microscopic infusoria. On this account they form a capital first study for any one beginning his researches in freshwater life.

About two-thirds of the British Entomostraca inhabit fresh water, the remaining third belay marine: We shall limit our attention at preset to Uwe former. The student who is tolerably persevering will soon make out from his gatherings ten or more genera, comprising about a score species, Which way fairly be considered common. He should plunge his dipping-bottle into every pond in his neighbourhood, particularly into those which are covered with a green mantle of any sort, under which these creatures like to shelter. A still drain is no bad place for search, The rain-filled cart-ruts on the borders of plantations may also be looked into with advantage. I once took up a bottle-full of water from a small pond in North Wales, which had evidently been shrinking in dimensions all through a dry summer, while the life in it