74 I'ROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 23, NO. 4, APRIL, 1921 



the other's effort. Both, I believe, are equally important to the 

 advancement of the science and therefore should share equitably 

 in such glory as may accrue from the results of their labors. It 

 is true, of course, that here and there in the vast field of the 

 natural sciences is to be found a fortunate individual who seems 

 to combine with considerable success the two faculties mentioned 

 but, generally speaking, the great successes are achieved by men 

 who specialize in one or the other provinces of the field, but who 

 make an honest effort to appreciate each other's services. 



Entomological draughtsmen, as well as other workers in art, 

 have suffered under the stigma cast by that hoary delusion "the 

 artistic temperament." In point of fact, however, we of the 

 cult know that entomological draughtsmen as a class are "just 

 folks" and are fully as stable, temperamentally speaking, as 

 other workers in natural science entomologists, for instance, 

 and I think that musicians especially, among other classes of 

 artists, have been largely responsible for the origin and growth 

 of the current popular belief in the idea that artists of all 

 varieties are creatures apart from all other classes of mankind 

 in the possession of a "black beast," in the form of the "artistic 

 temperament." There is no denying the fact that musicians, I 

 mean professional musicians, from their earliest childhood 

 have the emotional and motor elements of the brain stimulated 

 and developed at the expense of other important functions of 

 that complex organ, to the end that many of them, especially the 

 virtuosi, become finally nothing more or less than emotional 

 monstrosities. But this is not necessarily true of other branches 

 of art and especially is it not true with regard to the illustrators 

 of scientific subjects whose profession calls for the exercise of 

 something more than mere emotion and even at times of the 

 employment of something resembling pure reason. It is true, 

 moreover, that a very considerable number of the most success- 

 ful entomological draughtsmen have been entomologists as well 

 and if some of them have exhibited peculiarities of temperament, 

 doubtless this has been due more to their associations than to 

 any inherent predisposition. Dr. Howard maintains that there 

 is "no such thing as the entomological temperament," and says 

 that "it is much easier to make an entomologist out of an artist 

 than to convert an entomologist into an artist." 1 agree with 

 the latter statement, and it all goes to prove the old adage that 

 "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." In any event 

 it seems true that a knowledge of entomology is an asset of the 

 greatest value to the person who undertakes entomological 

 illustrative work. Such knowledge not only permits him to 

 perceive many details which otherwise would be overlooked 

 but, what is of greater importance, it places him in rapport with 

 his work and adds that seasoning of real interest, in the absence 

 of which no trulv successful work of anv kind ever is accom- 



