IfiO JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 



score of slips until you have discovered their favorite. It is 

 not a difficult thing, usually, to find something suitable. If you 

 know the foodplfints of other members of the family your 

 species will probably accept leaves of these plants. The scien- 

 tist wishes to kno\^the natural foodplant of each species, but 

 the butterfly farmer is content if he finds "something just as 

 good." The natural foodplant exists in the region where the 

 insect is found. You have a great advantage, therefore, over 

 the distant scientist who attemi3ts to rear the larvae in a dif- 

 ferent zone, perhaps, and without the slightest clue as to its 

 natural preference, j-et the scientist often succeeds. Even 

 beginners, like myself, are glad to receive shipments of eggs ac- 

 companied by the mother insects. 



I do not minimize the distracting difficulties of propagating 

 certain species of Lepidoptera, but I boldly assert that there 

 is no difficulty at all with the majority, the vast majority of 

 species. Where the beginner makes one failure he will make 

 many successes. Always remember that the rarest species are 

 generally as easily propagated as the commonest, that all will 

 lay their eggs if they have an opportunity, and that butterfly 

 farming does not interfere at all with your collecting, for you 

 are utilizing the by-product, the damaged females of your 

 catches. With ever so little outlay of time and trouble you will 

 multiply your output a hundredfold. 



During the past year I have corresponded with over a thou- 

 sand people who are eagerly interested in butterfly farming, 

 and I have taught its elementary principles to hundreds of 

 enthusiastic pupils without asking any compensation except 

 gratuitous offerings of specimens from each locality. At any 

 time I should be glad to correspond with those interested in 

 this work. 



