THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 63 



Here we have suffered much from the slow and inexorable hunger, from the 

 nerxous depression of our abominable slavery that no one can describe. Our 

 museum and our collections are saved, but I have lost one of m\' two sons who 

 was at the front, a fine boy of 24 years, a captain of engineers. 1 have lost a 

 part of my small fortune and my health, but more I fear that the sufferings 

 from hunger have compromised the future of my younger son and of my grand- 

 children. 



The balance sheet is sad, and I have little courage to take it up. I Avould 

 not, however, see the Catalogue, to which I have devoted myself for years, 

 founder. This is why I call for your aid. Write to your entomological friends 

 and sustain me, 



Yours sorrowfully, 



G. Severin. 



The Baron Edmond de Selys Longchamps (1813-1900) was known as the 

 chief authority on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of the Odonata. 

 He formed an extensive collection of these insects and of other ''^heuropteroids" 

 from all parts of the world, and of the vertebrates and some other groups of 

 Europe. These collections were presented, after his death, to the Brussels 

 Museum by his two sons. 



The publication of the Catalogue Systematique et Descriptif des Collections 

 Zoologiqiies du Baron Edm. de Selys Longchamps, "designed to realize the supreme 

 desire of their late possessor and at the same time to serve science," was begun 

 in 1906 under the care of the two sons, M. Severin and a number of zoologists, 

 who interlook, as specialists, the preparation of certain parts thereof. 



It was planned to appear in 32 fascicules of a varying number of pages, of 

 large quarto size, illustrated by text figures and some plates. The subscription 

 price for the complete work was fixed at 25 centimes (20 centimes for the fasci- 

 cules on Orthoptera, Lepidoptera and Vertebrata) per page of text, 2.75 francs 

 per coloured plate and 2 francs per black and white plate, with an increase of 

 25 per cent, for subscriptions to separate parts only. 



At the beginning of the war 21 fascicules had appeared, treating of the 

 Orthoptera, Embiidae, Perlodides, Megaloptera, Trichoptera, Ascalaphidae, 

 Libellulina', Cordulinae, Aeschnina?, Birds, Mammals, Amphibia and Fishes, 

 at a total price of 703.50 francs. The eight fascicules on the Libellulinse by 

 Dr. ^F. Ris, of Rheinau, Switzerland, constitute the most extensive monograph 

 on that subfamily ever produced, and several other groups have been dealt 

 with a similar fashion. Several fascicules are in such an advanced state of 

 preparation or of printing that they can be issued in a short time. 



There are many reasons — scientific, humanitarian, international, appreci- 

 ative of the nation which has suffered so fearfully — ^why the Selysian catal )gue 

 should be carried to completion, and it is to be hoped that readers of this appeal 

 will personally do all in their power to aid in this accomplishment by inducing 

 institutions which they can influence to subscribe. All correspondence relating 

 to subscriptions should be addressed to M. G. Severin, Musee Royal d'Histoire 

 Xaturelle. 31 Rue Vautier, Bruxelles, Belgium. 



Philip P. Calvert. 

 University of Pennsylvania. 



