1S1>>] 41 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



I he < 'dud iictors of KNTO.MOI.O(;IC \ i, \ i:\vs -olieit ;i ml will t hank full. viveei \ e 

 iteiii^ of news liki-ly to interest its readers from any source. The author's name 

 will be given in each case, for the Information of cataloguers and iiihii<r.:raph- 

 ers. | 



To Contributors All contributions will he considered and parsed upon at 

 our earliest convenience, and, as far as may he-, will he published according to 

 date of reception. ENTOMOLOGICAL Nl-:ws has readied a cii'cnlat ion. hot li in 

 nunihers and circumference, as to make it necessary to put "copy" into the 

 hands of the printer for each numher three weeks hefore date of issue. Thi> 

 should he remembered in sendinir special 01- important mattei- Tor a certain 

 issue. Twenty-five "extras." wit hout change in form, will be given free, when 

 they are Wanted; and this should he so stated on the MS., alomi \\ it h t he num- 

 her desired. Tin- receipt of all paper's will be acknowledged. Ki>. 



PHILADELPHIA, PA., FKBKl'ARY, 1SU9. ' 



SoMKtime a.u'o an appeal tor assistance to advance the in- 

 terests of entomology \\ as asked from a very wealthy woman 

 in (bis city, and sncb assistance declined, on tbe ground thai 

 sbe bad never wavered from a dislike to amateur collec- 

 tions of insects immolated on pins and whose loii"- su fieri ni: 

 no one could reali/e." Xow this all raises tbe question as to 

 whetber tbe lady is correct in ber ideas on tbe subject. Iv :-n 

 it' entomologists did immolate live insects on pins, it is probable 

 I hat tbey would not sutler pain, but as a matter of fact tbe\ 

 are killed before beinj;- ])inned. as otherwise tbey would be 

 ruined as specimens. \\"hile insects do bave sensory ner\ e-. 

 they are probably by no means as well developed as the motor 

 nerves, which are essential in such active creatures. In the 

 bibber orders of animals and those which brini;' forth fe\\ 

 you !!<>, pain is necessary to protect life, and tbe loss of this 

 protection in insects is compensated for by fecundity. There 

 are also direct experiments to prove that insects do not suffer 

 pain. It is said that a dragon -lly will eat from the end of its 

 abdomen ;;s far as it may be fed toil. A I so if I he same insect be 

 deprived of its abdomen and supplied with one of wax of the 

 same si/.e and weight, I be insect will ,uo about its business and 

 pursue mosquitos for food as I Inm.uh its anatomy had not been 

 abbreviated. The nocturnal moths are also very tolerant of 

 pins thrust through them in da\ time, but when niji'bl comes 

 lhe\ endeavor to depart, pin. tree and all. if pinned to the 

 latter. The writer has been accused of cruelty by lady friend-* 

 in starviii",' to death the larti'e bombycid moths, which by tbe 

 \\a\ , liave no moul h parts and only feed in tbe larva- condition. 

 When our lady friends cease to wear sealskin coats, the plum 



age of beautiful birds and have the tails of their horses less 



Like effete dusl brn-he>. we \\ill be \\illin.u- to bear from them 

 on the subject of eruelt\ to iusect>. 



