1898.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NF.WS. 97 



the NEWS ? Most of us chaps out here (the Western States) are beginners 

 and would also like to hear a familiar voice now and then. Personally, 

 however, I would object to cutting anything out of the NEWS to make 

 room for "tyro" matter, with the possible exception of matter not rela- 

 ting to strictly United States insects. I do object very seriously to seeing 

 the NEWS filled up with descriptions of African, European, Alaskan, and 

 other insects we will possibly never see and which, it appears to me, 

 should go into "Transactions." Such articles as those by Prof. A. J. 

 Snyder are much appreciated by the tyro. 



Purely artificial tables to assist the collector in placing his species would 

 be very acceptable additions to articles treating of a limited group. Every 

 time one of your great entomologists die I groan involuntarily because I 

 regret to see heads go out of existence taking with them so much know- 

 ledge, much of which might have been given to us in little paragraphs of 

 hints. It does seem that the more one knows the harder it is to get any- 

 thing intelligible out of him. Everything must be technical in proportion 

 to his reputation. Technicalities have done quite as much to mystify as 

 to enlighten. I am not in favor of work so popular as to be inaccurate, 

 but this endless terminology is quite discouraging. But I suppose these 

 sentiments are not those of scientists, so we will say no more." F. J. H. 



Mr. EDITOR "H. F. W." wonders what the "mere collectors" want. 

 Well, I presume there are no two who want just the same things. Just 

 at present there is one in my immediate vicinity who wants to know (i) 

 the duration of the egg stage of lima, cecropia, Columbia, iniperialis, 

 po/ypheimis and 6". bisectat (2) if larvae which, in nature, feed on large 

 trees will, in confinement, do as well on small trees four or six feet high 

 of same species ? (3) if pupze which have been kept all winter packed in 

 moss need to be taken from the moss and placed in dirt before they 

 emerge? (4) if cases made from pine or resinous woods will cause speci- 

 mens kept in them to turn greasy? and (5) what is the appearance of ?. 

 bisecta'? He thinks he has the pup^e of some of that species which re- 

 sulted from larvte found feeding on Finns regida, but is not sure. 



For years I have been finding the larvae ot ' luna feeding on white birch, 

 and not knowing to contrary supposed that to be a well-known food-plant 

 of the species, but I am told recently that such has not been known to be 

 the fact, so I give this information for what it may be worth. 



U'ould not the mere collector be pleased to have a standard cash price 

 authoritatively fixed for each species? As it is now, one man says astc- 

 rias, for instance, is worth ten cents, while another rates it at twenty-five, 

 with others setting it at fifteen and twenty. It seems to me that if uni- 

 formity in this matter could be brought about, it would greatly facilitate 

 the making of exchanges. W. R. HOWARD, Belfast, Me. 



We wpj^lo, be pleased to have our readers send us answers to these 

 questions io. the benefit of all. Of course the answer to question 2 is 

 yes. To questions 3 and 4, no. EDS. 



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