PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 23, \O. 4, APRIL, \'>2\ 71 



often they fail to do so, probably because the important charac- 

 ters are lost to the eye among the multitude of halftones and non- 

 essential details appearing m the photographic image. 



Broadly speaking, entomological drawings may be said to 

 comprise three general categories or classes: First, those 

 intended solely for the amusement, or (as in the case of the 

 newspapers), the horrification of the lay public. To this cate- 

 gory belong the crude caricatures of insect life incorporated in 

 certain cheap works of general reference, which it is unnecessary 

 to name. To this class also must be referred the bizarre, and 

 often impossible, representations of insects included in books 

 designed for juvenile minds. Last and by far worst are those 

 delirious night-mares sometimes spread in full-page prodigality 

 over the Sunday supplements of American metropolitan news- 

 papers. Superlative condemnation is assigned to the latter 

 variety of incubus not only because of the great numbers of 

 susceptible minds which it serves to infect, but also because 

 often it is accompanied by an equally distorted and misleading 

 text which serves to vivify the monstrosity suggested by the 

 illustration. I do not refer here to the frankly humorous 

 variety of entomological illustration which not only is harmless, 

 but often contributes not a little to the gaiety of nations. I mean 

 rather those pseudo-scientific revelations with which the papers 

 are wont to regale an innocent and unsuspecting public. That 

 the world would be the better for the elimination of such things 

 is self-evident to the natural scientist. It is to be feared that 

 the time is still far distant when such a reform may be expected 

 to materialize; recently, however, an effort has become evident 

 on the part of the better class of writers to present authoritative 

 entomological matter in company with accurate illustrations 

 and this movement may in time react favorably on the daily 

 press. 



The second class of entomological drawings comprises those 

 illustrations prepared for the exclusive use of the scientist. 

 They fill a useful and restricted sphere but have little or no gen- 

 eral interest or educational value. 



The third class includes a very large and important field and 

 embraces all conscientiously drawn illustrations, showing insects 

 in their entirety, either separated from or surrounded by their 

 environmental atmosphere, and which are of value both to the 

 laity and the professional entomologist. By far the greater 

 number of entomological illustrations belong to this general 

 purpose category and the following discussion is intended to 

 apply to this class of figures. No mention has been made so far 

 of colored illustrations which, when well done, are of the utmost 

 importance anil have the highest educational value. I'nfortu- 

 nately, the cost of good rotor print is still so hisjh as practically 

 to preclude its general use, and the poorer kinds of such work are 



