173 



species are worthless ; in some cases, as in the genus Pcronea^ 

 ten or twelve species are made out of one. M. A. Guence, 

 formerly of Chateaudeau, now of Paris, is the best autliority, 

 and is now occupied on them. The first part of his work is 

 published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of France. 

 He is now at work upon the Tinece. I will forward specimens 

 of your insects to him. 



Your Cotton Moth is near to Opliiusa^ but is a new genus. 

 We have nothing exactly the same. I have searched through 

 Abbot's drawings and cannot find it. At present I am so occu- 

 pied with the Butterflies that I can find no time for other 

 groups ; but in a fcw^ weeks I hope to begin on the JBomhi/ccs. I 

 have just got the last sheet of our Catalogue of Diurnal Lepid- 

 optera, Part 2, in press. This contains the ErycinidcB and Ly- 

 ccenidm, above six hundred species. I have yet the Hesj^eridoi^ 

 about four hundred species, to do. The first part of our Diur- 

 nal Lepidoptera appeared in January, 1845. This contains 

 thirteen hundred and fifty species, the second part six hundred. 

 Add Hesperidce^ about four hundred ; additional species to part 

 one, since January, 1845, about four hundred ; this gives two 

 thousand seven hundred and fifty species of Butterflies. 



The Museum occupies me six hours a day, and I live three 

 miles from it, so that is eight hours occupation daily. My 

 book takes me full thirty-six hours a week, or five hours daily. 

 I belong to eight London societies, and am in committees or on 

 councils of several. I have to do a good deal to help Boisdu- 

 val and Guen^e in the Suites a Buffon, and occasionally lend a 

 hand in other books. I have correspondents from Labrador to 

 Valparaiso, from Copenhagen to New Zealand. You will see 

 that this is plenty of work. 



