NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 331 



interested to know whether the yellow var. occurs in other localities. 

 I have taken it at Winchester and Cambridge, but I believe that it is 

 very local ; and I have never seen it here, although I am told that it 

 has occurred. In many places in this neighbourhood the species is 

 very common. The yellow var. is conspicuously yellow when on the 

 wing, and would probably be noticed. — N. M. Richardson, Monte 

 Video, near Weymouth. October xA^th, 1890. 



One scarcely knows what to call the specimens of Zygcena without 

 red spots ; they are not unicolorous, and certainly not melanic. The 

 following are all I know of, and they are worthy of record in addition. 

 Z. irifolii — Robertson Coll., Liverpool ; Dr. Mason's, Burton-on-Trent 

 trifulii ox filipendidm; J. B. Hodgkinson (Preston) has one, the latter 

 mentioned another to me, possibly Mr. Baxter's filipenduhe, and, lastly, 

 there is Mr. Goss's specimen. Fi/ipendulce v. citriniis is a recurrent var. 

 both at Cambridge and Winchester, but only a very occasional visitor 

 elsewhere. At Hartlepool it has appeared three times, but only single 

 specimens. Why this insect should never vary in the least at one 

 locality, and run to different named forms and splashed vars, at another, 

 whilst the facies of local broods equally preserve their identity, is " one 

 of those things that no fellow can understand." I have bred thousands, 

 and never had a black or yellow one, only gradations of pink in the 

 hind wings, and coalescing spots. — Sydney Webb, Dover. Oct., 1890. 



The black and yellow Z. Jiiipendidce are both well worth seeing. 

 The species is very common along the coast south of Aberdeen, but I 

 never heard of a yellow or black var. having been got. — W. Reid, 

 Pitcaple. October 20///, 1890. 



Lyc^na agestis var. salmacis. — This var. is taken on dry banks 

 at Richmond, Yorks. According to my experience sal/iiacis is about 

 a fortnight later than agestis, but this may be only a coincidence. — 

 Wm. MiLBURN, Darlington. January, 1891. 



jOTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Collections. — In the Record, p. 99, I had a few words to say about 

 the much maligned " collector " ; I would now say a i&w^ words about 

 " collections." 



Collections are "means," not "ends." This embodies the whole 

 raison d'etre of forming collections, and determines whether the making 

 of the collection is of advantage or not to the maker. 



To the uneducated man, the collection, setting, and correct arrange- 

 ment of specimens when obtained, is an advantage to the maker, and 

 such a one needs no defending, even though he go no further. 



The mere capturing of specimens for pictures, etc., can readily be 

 justified, when carried out by men, who would remain ignorant of the 

 beauties of nature, unless stimulated by something of this kind. 



To the educated man, the making of collections, with no other object 

 in view, is not justifiable ; to capture large numbers of specimens to 

 gratify a feeling of possession is altogether insufficient grounds for 

 forming a collection, and where this is the "end," it is of no use to 

 the collector. 



