Mar., 'io] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 135 



Libellnla pulchella. Field, July 2, i female; Great Marsh, July 6, 2 



male ; along wooded lake shore, July 6, i male ; End of Point 



Abbaye on rocky shore, July 7, i male. 



Leucorhinia glacialis. Great Marsh meadow, July 6, i female. 

 Sympetrum nibicundulm. Brook, July 2, I female; woods, July 6, 



i female ; July 14, I female. 

 6". nibicundulm Var. assiiiiilatuin. Brook, July 2, i female; field, July 



4, i female; woods, July 6, I female.; Great Marsh, July 6, I 



female; July io, i female. 

 Sympetnnn obtrusum. Brook, July 2, 2 male; marshy ground, July 



18, i uair. MORGAN HEBARU. 



"THE newspaper reports about my trouble on the occasion of my 

 last arrival from Europe with a lot of insects were amusing, but as 

 Mark Twain said of the report of his death, somewhat exaggerated." 

 Sir George Hampson requested me before I started for Europe last 

 fall to bring over with me the types of some two hundred African 

 Noctuidae which I described a number of years ago and which he was 

 unable to recognize among the material at his command, that he might 

 study and figure the same for his work on The Moths of the World. 

 I did this, and I brought back the bundle containing the boxes with 

 me. My belongings were quickly passed at the custom house with 

 the exception of this package. The inspector assigned to me had his 

 doubts, and compelled me to stand on the dock for a half hour while 

 he went to search for an appraiser. A newspaper reporter of the 

 New York Herald, and another one representing the Sun, happened to 

 spy me and asked me what the trouble was, to which I replied that 

 I was the victim of stupidity, that these customs gentlemen did not 

 know the law which makes natural history specimens, the property of 

 a museum, free from duty. When finally, after waiting thirty minutes 

 and being chaffed somewhat unmercifully by my friends, the appraiser 

 turned up, he simply laughed and told me I was right, there was no 

 duty upon my specimens, and that ended the matter, though I and six 

 people who were waiting to accompany me to the hotel lost an hour 

 each out of our time. It was one of those annoying little incidents 

 which sometimes occur, but I do not think I said "damn" as the Sun 

 reporter intimated that I looked as if I would like to say. I think 

 it is simply outrageous that the gentlemen who are in charge of the 

 affairs of the United States government should impose a duty upon 

 the few natural history specimens which individuals import for the 

 purposes of scientific study and research. The thing is to the last 

 degree petty. It is unjust to scholarship. It is putting a burcle-n upon 

 scientific research when carried on by individuals." DR. W. J. HOL- 

 LAND, IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. 



