250 ON COMMENCING A COLLECTION OF LEPIDOl'TERA. 



collected Fissidens adiantoides and Hieracium prenanthoides. From this 

 point to the village, the scenery from the road was enchanting; while the 

 weather, which had been gradually brightening up since the morning, was of 

 that warm and genial kind which can best be enjoyed only in scenery 

 of such surpassing beauty as all have acknowledged the Aberdeenshire 

 Highlands to afford. 



A FEW WORDS ON 

 COMMENCING A COLLECTION OF LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY THE REV. R. V. ALINGTON. 

 "Do as I say, not as I do." 



Although my collection of Lepidoptera is very limited and defective, I 

 have nevertheless been frequently asked the following queries: — ^' Where, 

 and how do you get these insects? — A question easily answered — "Many 

 of them in my garden with a gauze net." 



"1 had no conception that such a variety could be met with in this 

 country." 



"Oh, yes, and hundreds more," 



Now it is just possible that such an inquirer, provided he knew 

 how to commence operations, might be induced to become at least a col- 

 lector from mere admiration of the beauty of the Flies he may easily 

 obtain; and who knows but from such a small beginning, he might, some 

 time or other become a Cuvier? But the complaint is ever the same — "I 

 would if I knew how." Moreover, how very frequently is the "would-be- 

 naturalist" deterred from carrying a butterfly-net from the fear of ridicule; 

 but this very common evil can only be overcome by example and com- 

 panionship. In this neighbourhood a man with an insect-net is laughed at, 

 and looked upon as the most simple child in creation; while in the more 

 southern counties, nets in the day-time and lamps at night, meet you at every 

 turn. The want, too, of plain and cheap works on the first rudiments of 

 Entomology, has hitherto been a drawback to the persevering in this most 

 fascinating and delightful of all pursuits. Descriptions of Flies written in 

 cramped and frequently abbreviated Latin, will not be very tempting to a 

 lukewarm beginner; but perhaps this observation may apply more to works 

 on Coleoptera than Lepidoptera, of which I alone speak; mind you I 

 do not say that such works are not useful or even necessary, but they 

 are only so to the professed naturalist. If the beginner had no other 

 encouragement than an abbreviated Latin description, would he not at 

 once (having at first to be tickled like a trout) give up the attempt as 

 tiresome, and as too like a return to school to persist in? But several 

 works have of late years been published from which, with a very little 



