THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 161 



THE HEATH COLLECTION OF LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY F. H. WOLLEY DOD, MIDNAPORE, ALTA. 



The collection of Lepidoptera formed by the late E. Firm- 

 stone Heath, of Cartwright, Manitoba, was, shortly after his 

 death, acquired by the Manitoba Government. Mr. J. B. Wallis, 

 of Winnipeg, was asked to overhaul it and put it into condition 

 for museum reference, as it was intended that it should form the 

 nucleus of the entomological section of the Provincial Museum. 

 Shortly before Christmas Mr. Wallis very kindly wrote offering 

 me the opportunity of looking through it, a chance of which I 

 was most ready to avail myself. Accordingly, in the last week of 

 the old year, I visited him at his rooms on Boyd Avenue, where 



the collection had been temporarily deposited, and together we 

 spent four or live days studying it, sorting out the mixtures, and 

 making a full list of the species as far as we were able to identify- 

 them. Such species as we were uncertain about, or had no means 

 of verifying, were subsequently sent east to experts in the various 

 families. The Hydroecias and Papaipemas went to Mr. Bird, Geo- 

 metrinae and Hepialidse went to Mr. A. F. Winn, Drs. Barnes and 

 McDunnough, the Catocalas and Deltoids to Mr. Arthur 

 Gibson and Drs. Barnes and McDunnough, and the Micros to 

 Mr. Busck. A number of species in all families were submitted 

 to Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough. The assistance of all these 

 gentlemen is most gratefully acknowledged. 



Viewed as a whole, the collection was in poor condition. 

 The percentage of worn or indifferent specim.ens was high, and, 

 with a very few exceptions, the setting was badly done on short 

 pins. Nearly all of those on long pins were from other collections. 

 A portion, none too large a portion either, of the specimens bore 

 date labels, usually face downwards; though so very low was the 

 setting that 'the specimens had in any case to be removed when- 

 ever it was desired to read them. The authority for an identifica- 

 tion was very rarely given, and even when given, was written on 

 si label below a series, and never attached to the actual specimen 

 or specimens named by a recognised authority. Some specimens 



May, 1916 



