158 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING INSECTS. 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING INSECTS. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The Smithsonian Institution has undertaken the preparation of a 

 series of reports en the insects of North America, with the view of 

 attracting attention to and facilitating the study of a department of 

 natural history^ which, though so much neglected, is yet of great 

 practical importance to the agriculturist and rural economist. These 

 works will consist — first, of catalogues of all the known genera and 

 species of each order, with reference to the places of publication ; and 

 secondly, of monographs and detailed descriptions of both old and new 

 species, so as to enable any one interested in the subject to identify the 

 insects met with, and to prosecute investigations respecting them. 



Towards the accomplishment of this object the Institution has 

 already published a catalogue of the North American Coleoptera, by 

 Dr.F.E. Melsheimer, andalso oneof theDiptera, by Baron Ostensacken, 

 while similar catalogues of Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, 

 and Diurnal Lepidoptera are in an advanced state of preparation. It 

 is now proposed to take up a very interesting and extensive group, 

 that of the Moths or Night Butterflies, and contributions of materials 

 towards a work on this subject are, therefore, respectfully solicited. 

 There is no locality in the country where new species may not be 

 readily obtained, and from which complete collections are not desira- 

 ble^ although novelties are most to be looked for from the regions of 

 the west. From every region the most common and familiar species are 

 equally desirable, with the rarest and most striking ; the object being 

 not merely to collect all the species, but also to determine accurately 

 their geographical distribution. 



In the following pages will be found special instructions for collect- 

 ing insects, furnished for this article by different entomologists, with 

 some general remarks on the subject taken from Samouelle's Entomo" 

 legist's Companion. 



