ENTOMOLOGY. 61 



Honesty and Dishonesty. — I read an article in the "Zoologist" of last year 

 written by you, and as I fear much mistrust has gone abroad, will trouble 

 you with one or two remarks. This is a very bad feeling to cherish in society 

 of any kind, and I believe a great drawback to science. I long to see each 

 collector, rich or poor, working hand in hand, without that selfishness that 

 you would have seen prevalent at Lewes last season, when thirteen collectors, 

 all on one spot after Empyrea, were running over each other, and caught 

 looking at each other's sugar, which was not pleasant to the feelings; and it 

 is that which gives distrust. Dishonesty has all its weapons of warfare. Then 

 these collectors call on seven or thirty persons, as the case may be, and they 

 do not tell the same tale to all; so when their customers meet, they compare 

 each other's story as told, and alas! too often find something wrong. This 

 creates suspicion, and I suppose those whose corns have been trodden on, feel 

 they have a right to speak out freely. This I do not blame, for if I had 

 any suspicion any insect I had from a friend was not British, I would crush 

 it directly. My sole object in writing to you is to give a practical hint as to 

 the necessity of gentlemen helping poor men, who are striving to obtain their 

 bread by capturing insects, so long as they are honest; and when found out 

 in dishonesty, then let them be exposed in public works. I give you an instance 

 of my own experience while in pursuit of knowledge under difficulties. I hope 

 any digression will be overlooked, as I want nothing but to shew that working 

 men have done something for cabinets. In 1853, I captured one hundred and 

 thirty Dipihera orion near Ipswich. June 8th. took one, three next night, 

 twenty-six next, seven next, twenty-seven next, and so on till the end of June. 

 Wind, south, was at all times most favourable. I took S. conspicuaria at 

 Raydon Wood in 1851. I saw one V. antiopa feeding on sugar with atalanta 

 in the centre of Hay don Wood; it glided on to the end of the wood, and then 

 settled on a gate-post, from which it flew off above the oaks. A week after 

 that my friend Mr. C. Eaton took one on Nacton Heath at sugar — this is 

 important. I have taken G. c-album on Nacton Heath, as well as N. senex. 

 I have taken C. ridens at light in April, by hanging up a sheet in Bentley 

 Wood. I have taken P. dysodea near Ipswich. The Athalia which you re- 

 ported my having taken in Suffolk, I beg to tell you now I took at Maldon 

 Wood, in Essex — about two hundred that year. I brought home several in 

 muslin, and turned them out at Clubs Heath as I went home to Ipswich, and 

 they have since been taken there in great numbers. — Geobge King, 85, Lower 

 Union Street, Torquay. 



[We can assure Mr. King that honest men, however poor, will at all times 

 receive the utmost encouragement and assistance we can afford them. The 

 dishonest trader in insects however, whether rich or poor, will ever find us 

 his most uncompromising enemy. We will have no communication, or hold any 

 terms with men who commit the fraud of imposing foreign insects upon their 

 customers for British specimens. No amount of pleading, for bread even, shall 

 induce us to swerve from this course. We hold it to be the duty of every 

 man who lays claim to the character of scientific, to assist us in the perform- 

 ance of this duty. English collections as such are becoming tainted with that 



