ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., MAY, 1909. 



Now that the collecting season is about to begin, the collec- 

 tor is probably contemplating the work for the season. He is 

 cherishing the desire to add to his collection certain desiderata. 

 How much better it would be if he contemplated working out 

 and publishing the life-history or habits of some species. Col- 

 lecting is valuable work in a way, but the acquisition of 

 knowledge for the benefit of all is the kind of work to be 

 desired. We are often prevented from doing the kind of work 

 for which we are best fitted, but we should always make an 

 effort to do that which is for the best interest of all concerned. 

 We should gradually drift away from the old idea of gathering 

 together a lot of species and ticking them off in a list. Some 

 study of habits would be far more valuable and in the end far 

 more interesting. What we don't know about insects is some- 

 thing startling, and we should endeavor to cut down the great 

 disproportion between the known and the unknown. 



FOR THE last two or three years I have devoted most of my time to the 

 Phyfophaga, especially Mexico and South America. I have collected 

 together a considerable material, and have been struck with the dearth of 

 information in the way of naming foreign specimens to be had in the 

 United States. This has gradually led me to form the determination to 

 specialize on this group, and with this end in view I purchased most of 

 the library of the late Mr. Jacoby, and have also bought the Phytophaga 

 of the Van de Poll collection, which includes what is known as the first 

 Jacoby collection, i. e. the one formed by him up to and including his 

 work on the "Biologia." This collection embraces about 6000 named 



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